


Suits

by Foxx_in_soxx



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Action/Adventure, All The Ships, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Assassins & Hitmen, Badass Armin Arlert, Badass Jean Kirstein, Best Friends, Biting, Blow Jobs, Bottom Eren Yeager, Bottom Jean Kirstein, Bottom Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Bottom Marco Bott, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Crime Fighting, Dark Marco Bott, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eren Yeager Is a Tease, Everyone Is Alive, Face Slapping, Face-Fucking, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Foursome - M/M/M/M, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gun Kink, Gun Violence, Handcuffs, Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin) is Bad At Feelings, Light Angst, Light BDSM, M/M, Minor Armin Arlert/Jean Kirstein, Minor marco bott / erwin smith, Multiple Orgasms, Multiple Pairings, Neck Kissing, Oral Sex, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Prostate Milking, Rough Body Play, Rough Sex, Roughness, Sex, Shameless Smut, Smut, Switching, There's a foursome thanks to hange, Top Eren Yeager, Top Jean Kirstein, Top Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Top Marco Bott, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-09-23 22:28:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 58,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17088932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foxx_in_soxx/pseuds/Foxx_in_soxx
Summary: Jean and Armin are just two slippery, smart information brokers who make easy money stealing and selling information to the right buyer.It's all fun and games until they get tangled up with some of the wrong people and end up in a head on collision with a dangerous assassin group called the Suits.Will the two info brokers get eaten alive by the dangerous assassins, or will it be something different entirely?





	1. My Barber Is An Assassin

The blonde walked nonchalantly down the street, casting a glance over his shoulder. He clutched a small box in his hand, black, with a gold ribbon wrapped around it, hinting at an expensive object like a gold necklace or priceless pearl earrings inside. He was so close to the drop site, but something felt odd. He felt eyes on him. He yanked the hood of his raincoat up around his blonde head, covering himself. He knew someone was watching in the vicinity. He couldnt see them, but by now, he had grown to recognize the stillness in the air and the cold, eerie feeling of being spied on. 

He continued walking, glancing down at his cell phone. He had left careful instructions for the buyer a few days prior: "Park your car on State street. Leave your driver's side window open six centimeters. The drop will be this weekend. I'll send you a message when the drop is completed. You will pay us immediately upon drop off." 

He came upon the car with the make and license plate that matched the information the buyer had provided to him. Walking up next to it, the driver's window was down about an six centimeters. Perfect. He slipped the small box in the open window and watched it drop down onto the expensive black leather seats of the new Cadillac. The box bounced slightly, opening up and showing the tiny flash drive inside, then closing and sitting unassumingly on the driver's seat, looking as if it had been there the whole time. 

Armin breathed a sigh of relief at his success and continued his walking down the street, shooting off a text message of completion to his partner. Once he was far enough away, his partner would text the buyer that the drop had been made. 

They should be in the clear, but there was a problem. Armin still felt like he was being watched. 

A few more steps and he glanced behind himself again. The street wasn't crowded by any means, it was night, and rain was lightly falling, but a few people were still making their way home from various destinations or taking their dogs on a late night stroll. His eyes scanned the view behind him, and then he saw the watcher. A man sidestepped from behind a high wall, and his eyes lifted to meet the blonde’s. 

He was caught.

The blonde hurriedly scooted off down a sidestreet. The rain sped up, pattering on the ground as his converse-clad feet splashed in the puddles, rain splashing up his jeans. He did feel a little guilty about asking the buyer to leave the window down now, but considering that they had sent someone to tail him for who knows what reason, he hoped it started torrential raining so there was standing water in the damn thing. 

He yanked his jacket tighter around himself, and his hood down over his eyes. He turned and made his way into an office plaza. The buildings all looked to be closed and completely dark inside. He moved to a door and slipped a lockpick in, jimmied the handle, and with no trouble at all, made his way inside. 

He quietly closed the door and moved to the window soundlessly, watching as his stalker moved past his hiding place and moved on down the street in search of him. He breathed out slowly, only hearing his heartbeat in the quiet room. Safe. 

That was close. 

He couldn't believe that had set up. Those bastards. 

He had to make it to the meeting place before his partner started to worry about him. 

Lost in thought, he suddenly felt a small, frigid hand on the back of his neck. It grabbed and held on tight, making the blonde let out a yelp of pain. 

“What the fuck are you doing in here?”

The blonde swivelled, and came face to face with a short, raven-haired man, his silver eyes gleaming with the reflection of the streetlight and rain outside the window. He flicked on the light, and the blonde noticed the ravenette was wearing an apron and holding sharp hair cutting shears. He had wandered into a hair salon. 

“Were you cutting hair in the dark?” The blonde asked, startled by the man's outfit.

"What's it to you? Answer the question, why the fuck are you in here?" He responded, pointing his shiny silver shears at him.

"Sorry. I was being followed, so I came in here to hide." He said, truthfully. 

The raven-haired man's silver eyes narrowed. 

"What, it's the truth. I can leave now, I think he is gone." Armin turned to try to sneak away, but the ravenette grabbed him by the back of the coat. 

“How did you get in here? And what’s you’re name?” The man asked, intrusively reaching out and messing with the blonde’s long locks.

“Ow, don't pull--It’s Armin, my name.” He said, as the ravenette yanked on his blonde locks, grimacing. “Is anyting wrong with my hair?”

The ravenette sighed. “The question is is there anything right with your hair. It looks like shit.”

Armin frowned. His long blonde hair had become a little unkempt lately, and his bangs hung in his eyes and were long overdue for a trim, he generally kept them out of his eyes with a hairpin. 

“Well, I’ve been busy lately.” Armin stumbled, fiddling with the few strands of bangs that had fallen out of his hairpin into his face while he had been running.

"Well, your hair should be your number three priority. Number one priority is good sleep. Two, is good shits. Three, good hair." He grabbed Armin by the sleeve and pulled him with force that seemed like it shouldn't exist in that small of a body over toward a styling chair. 

“No really, I’m in a hurry. I need to meet someone. I don't have time for a haircut right now.”

“This will only take a minute.” The man said. "Trust me. There is nothing that you need to do right now that is more important than taking care of this squirrel's nest on your head." 

“But--”

“Can it, blondie, you’ll thank me for this.”

Armin finally conceded, and sat quietly as the dark haired man trimmed his hair into a neat, shoulder length cut that pulled up nicly in a ponytail with a blonde fringe falling just over his cobalt blue eyes.

"There. Now you don't look like you just crawled out of a pile of shit." The man said, yanking the sheet off of the blonde when he was done.

"Wow, it looks really good." Armin murmured, looking in the mirror with a smile.

"Damn right it does."

"How much is it?"

"On the house. Just tell your friends about this place. I'm Levi, this is my shop. I'm still looking for new clients. Oh, and for shit's sake, don't ever let your hair get that long again."

"Yeah. Sure." Armin said, nodding, as he took off into the night. 

And that was the first run in that Armin had with Levi, the King of Spades. Had he known that he was talking to one of the most dangerous assassins on the face of the planet, the conversation would have probably gone a bit differently. But that was a conversation for another day.

\--

“Jesus, where were you?” The tall, sandy-haired blonde stood up from the table at the bar when his petite partner strolled in. “Did you...stop to get a haircut?” He asked, tipping his head slightly to the side, looking the second man over with his inquisitive green orbs. "It looks really, really good!" 

“It was...I was kidnapped by a midget hairdresser. But you seriously wouldn’t believe me if I told you, Jean.” Armin said, scratching the back of his neck.

Jean just shrugged and left it at that, welcoming his partner as he joined him at their usual small booth pressed against a wall in their favorite bar in town called 'Scouts'. 

A dark-haired waitress walked over to the table, taking away Jean’s two empty beer glasses. “You two ready for your regular now?” She asked with a smile.

Armin nodded. “Two shots of Fireball please.” 

The waitress scurried away, and the two men looked at each other across the table, then turned to gaze at the rain, now coming down in sheets outside the window. 

"It would suck to leave your windows down in a storm like this, wouldn't It?" Jean pondered, looking out at the pouring rain.

"Sure would." Armin murmerred back with a small smile.

Jean's phone dinged, and he looked at it. It was a notification from the bank, the payment for the drop was in their account.

Armin made eye contact with him as the phone buzzed, and Jean smiled. "It's in." 

The woman came back with two tumblers of fireball and they raised them, clinking them together.


	2. Meet The Cast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two! Hope you love it and Merry Christmas! 
> 
> As always thank you guys so much for your likes and comments, it makes it worth writing!

The grey-haired buisnessman looked around the resturant, his brow furrowing, his forehead wrinkles deepening as he checked the time on the gaudy Rolex on his wrist. 

45 minutes late. He was beginning to think that he had been stood up. He straightened his expensive Brioni suit jacket and blew an exasperated breath out of his nose. 

Unbelievable. 

HE didn't get stood up. He was one of the most powerful men in the country. They'd pay for this. The man stewed angrily. 

He raised one finger into the air, and the bartender’s eyes met his own, acknowledging his call. 

The bartender.

He had been the only good part of this god-forsaken business trip across the country. 

He had seen him working every evening in the hotel bar. He had perfect smooth caramel skin, thick chestnut hair, and wide teal eyes. His long, lean legs and arms flexed while he worked, showing toned, lean muscle, and a wide, toothy grin hid just behind perfect, pouty pink lips. The buisnessman wondered where he was originally from, with his beautiful, almost sultry features. 

He moved gracefully on his feet and created each drink flawlessly, while carrying on conversation with the people at the bar in a flirty and cheerful manner.

The man guessed him to be between 20 and 25 years of age, so not too young, but still, young enough for a good time. 

Upon his beckon, the bartender dried his hands on a his apron and made his way over to the man’s table. “Hello again sir!” He greeted the man with a smile, then his eyes glanced at the empty chair across from him. “You've been waiting here quite a while...were you stood up?” He asked, crossing his arms with a bit of a pout on his lips.

“Seems that way.” The man said, pushing his glasses up on his thin, long nose. “What a disaster, after travelling all the way here.”

“Oh no! You travelled here for this meeting?" The bartender exclaimed. "Where did you come from?” 

“The capitol. Some...diplomatic housekeeping.” 

The younger man’s eyes widened, and his hands reached to pull down the vest on his cheap bar-issued maroon and black suit in a bit of a nervous tick. “Wow, the capitol! Have you met the prime minister?”

The elder man smirked at the way the younger man gazed at him with rapt attention. “I work with him nealy every day. I’m one of his closest advisors.” He bragged. He generally wasn't supposed to tell information like that to strangers, but for some reason this kid just made him want to tell him everything, the way he ate up his words so eagerly. He obviously wasn't a villain, if anything, he was going to be the victim in the situation. 

“Wow!” The brunette exclaimed. “How exciting! What’s it like to be in the government?” He asked, looking around to see if anyone was watching, then sitting down in the open chair across from the man.

The man looked the kid over. "It's pretty good. I have to make a lot of big decisions that affect a lot of people."

"Wow. That's so interesting. What kind of decisions?"

"Oh you know, lots of things. I mostly look out of people in power. I keep it so everyone is looking good for the press."

"Like how? Like you do wardrobe?" The bartender asked, tipping his head to the side, feigning ignorance. 

The man laughed a dry laugh, his pride swelling as he explained his job to the younger man. "No, its more public relations. So if someone does something that wouldn't look great to other people, it's my job to kind of, make it look better or hide it." 

The brunette's eyebrows furrowed. "Hide it? Why?"

"Becuause, you wouldn't want everyone to know that your Secertary of State, for example, was beating his wife, right?"

"Well, people should know that, right? That's wrong to hide it from people."

"No, it looks terrible in the presses. So my job is to just sweep things like that under the rug."

"Oh. I get it, I think."

The man sighed as he looked the boy over, who seemed to still be processing the secret information he had just vomited out to him.

“Why don’t I tell you more about it in my room later? This isn't the sort of thing I generally discuss in public.” The man hinted.

The brunette blushed a light pink at the invitation. “I--okay. I get off in a few minutes.” He said, looking at a clock.

The man put his room key down on the table. “Use this for the bill. Then find me when you’re done.”

The man got up, exiting his table. The brunette's eyes followed him across the lobby to the elevator, then looked down at the key card. 

Easy as pie. 

He went in the back and tore off his apron, as well as the little pin-on nametag “Josh” that he had picked up from the desk where he found his apron. 

He pulled a small bag he had brought out of one of the employee lockers, and checked it for correct contents. Condoms, lube, dagger. Perfect.

He smiled as he quickly made his way up to the man's room clutching the small bag and key in his hand.

\--

A few hours later, the brunette turned the key in the lock to his own apartment and slowly, soundlessly let himself in. The lights were on, and there was soft jazz music floating from the kitchen. His flatmate was home. Levi.

He swaggered in, seeing the small, dark haired man sitting on the far side of the room in a cozy recliner reading a book, a still steaming mug of tea on the coffee table in front of him.

The brunette walked in to the kitchen, leaning up against the island he started longlingly at his flatmate. Levi Ackerman. The King of Spades. Silent. Invisible. Lethal. 

He had known him for so many years. He knew everything about the man. The perfect textbook assassin. His victims vanished without a trace, as if they never existed at all. Their bodies were never recovered, unless he specifically wanted them to be. He was a perfect killing machine, but now, his tiny body curled up in a chair, he looked like he was made for lazy days at home with books and tea and naps.

“Levi, I’m home.” 

He called out to his flatmate who was only a few feet away from him, his words hanging in the air in between them, Levi not looking up from his book or responding to them. 

Finally, after a long pause, he responded. “Is it done? Looking up slowly, silver eyes scanning up Eren’s wrinkled outfit before locking with his teal orbs.

“Yes. The housekeepers will find the body in the morning.”

“Good.” Levi said stiffly, tearing his gaze from the younger man’s as he slammed his book together and stood up from his chair, moving towards his own bedroom. “Go take a shower. You smell like sex and alcohol. I hope to Christ you didn't drive yourself here, you can barely walk.”

“Wait, Lee, can we talk first?” Eren asked, reaching out to grab Levi’s small wrist. The ravenette jerked his arm away, tearing it from Eren’s grasp, a look of disgust on his face. Eren for some reason expected it to soften and for Levi to apologize, but he apology never came. 

“Lee, please, just look at me.” 

“Stay away, Eren.”

“Lee--” 

“Eren, I mean it.”

“Aren’t you glad to see me?”

The elder man backed up into his room. “Take a shower, Eren.” He said quietly closing the door behind him.

Eren Jaeger. King of Hearts. Charming, seductive, deceptive. Able to capture any heart with his charming wit, beautiful body, and silver tongue. Able to capture any heart, except for the one that he's wanting.

\--

“Mr. Smith! How lovely of you to join us!” The woman in the long, purple evening gown reached her hand out while she smiled a wide, open mouthed smile at the new guest walking through the casino doors. The man she her offered her hand to in greeting accepted it with a small bow and a short word of greeting, kissing her fingers. The man was tall, broad shouldered, with stunning golden hair, large muscles and sharp blue eyes. He was dressed in a navy tailored suit with a silver tie and shiny shoes, and wore a blingy Rolex watch on his wrist and a family signet ring on his left pinky. 

He was more of a presence then an actual person. Everyone in the room knew him. Worshipped him. A wealthy, affluent man from a notable family with old money.

Erwin Smith. The King of Diamonds. Rich. Influential. Memorable. An important man with friends in high places, and access to virtually any place at any time due to his status and nearly unlimited resources. 

He buzzed around the busy casino, talking to the familiar men and women in attendance. Everyone was dressed to the nines for the Mayor's annual ball, and this year's keynote speaker was a very controversial man with a lot of enemies. 

The large ballroom was opened after the speaker's discourse, and the men and women meandered in, the room alive with the buzz and chatter discussing the man's views on eugenics and other topics regarding forced equality among future populations. The large live band playing music as the lights dimmed, the people's thoughts steering away from the controversial topics and on to the festivities of the evening as people chatted by the appetizer table or enjoyed the music by taking a partner and waltzing to the lively tunes. 

Erwin was quickly asked to dance by a younger, high class woman, the daughter of a buisnessman he was familiar with. He graciously accepted, and held his partner tight against him, waltzing expertly with her around the dance floor, seeking out his target. He saw his target, the keynote speaker, dancing cordially with an older woman, so he drew closer to him, waiting for the perfect timing. When the man's side was next to him, in a flash, he slipped a kitchen knife out from his sleeve and pushed the blade up underneath the man's ribs, penetrating his heart fatally instantaneously. As quickly as he had stabbed him, he pulled the knife out and threw it to the floor, kicking it to the side, where it was kicked around by dancers who mindlessly wondered what had gotten dropped throughout the festivities. The speaker hardly realized what had happened, grasping his side as if he had a sudden sideache. It wasnt until people started slipping on bloodied floor that the panic Erwin had been counting on set in. 

The screaming, yelling and running was the perfect cover. Nothing covers up a crime scene better than 200 panicked party-goers traipsing all over it and 50 curious people handling the murder weapon before the police arrive. 

\--

“It’s a terrible tragedy. I have a great faith in our local policewoman and policemen and know that they will find these criminals and have them brought to justice.”

“That was Mr. Erwin Smith, who was at the scene today of the gruseome slaying of Roger Walters, who was the keynote speaker at The Mayor's Ball tonight. He was greatly disliked in many circles due to his pushing for eugenics and selective breeding, many have called him a 'nazi' and believe that his sudden death was a blessing.” The newscaster continued, and Levi breathed a little laugh through his nose. Erwin. 

He stood from the chair in his room, and picking up his cell phone he dialed a few numbers and put it to his ear, waiting for the familiar voice on the other end of the line.

“Erwin Smith.”

“It’s Levi.” 

“Levi, how are you?” 

“Good. I saw your little sob story about the mayor's ball on TV.” 

“Did you now?” Erwin said, a hint of a smile in his voice. “It was very tragic.” 

“Not really. That guy was seriously sick. But anyway, when will you be back in town?”

“I’ll be on my way soon. I have a dinner date tonight. You know how it is, I alwasy get caught up in meetings and whatnot. But I’ll be back soon.”

“Right. Good.”

“Is Eren home?” 

Levi pulled the phone away from his ear, and could faintly hear the shower water still running. “Yeah. In the shower.”

“Did everything go as assigned with his job with the Prime Minister's Public Relations Manager?”

“Course it did.” Levi spat. “Have you ever seen anyone that’s been able to resist him? He swaggered in here an hour or so ago smelling like cum and liquor.”

Erwin stalled on the other end of the line. “Listen, Levi--”

“If this is about me and Eren I really don’t want to hear it, okay? I’ve already gotten lectures already from Mikasa, and from Marco. All about true love and communication and some shit. Just save it. Don't try to put yourself in my shoes. There's no way you could relate to myself and Eren so please don't try.”

“Well we’re all a team, Levi. You’ll need to talk about it one day. Or one of you will have to leave.”

Levi just responded with a “tsk” noise of definace, changing the subject suddenly. “Have you heard from Marco? I haven’t talked to him in a couple days.”

Erwin responded with a boisterous laugh. “Are you kidding me? Have you not been watching the news?”

“I just turned it on now and saw you. So just the local news.”

“Oh my God, Levi, This is the biggest story in literally the entire world right now.”

\--

Marco was many things. He was a good man, really, he cared about stray kittens and homeless orphans, like he himself once had been. Sure, now he was a contracted killer and part of one of the most deadly assassin teams in the world, but that wasn’t all he was. He would probably consider himself a lover more than a fighter.

Maybe. Maybe?

Maybe not. He mused at the thought as he sat back in the tall, gold and white chair, taking a inhale from a thick cigar, he held it for a minute, and then blew it out his nostrils. He had grown up in Sicily. The Italian mob ran deep in his blood. His heritage could be clearly seen in his soft, olive skin and wild dark curls, but the Irish blood on his mother's side mocked him, by giving him little brown freckles all over his body, most noticeably right over the bridge of his nose. 

He couldn't complain about the freckles, no matter how much he hated them, since they gave him a friendly, harmless look, completely adverse to whom he actually was, which had come in quite handy. 

He sighed, leaning back in the tall chair, trying to get comfortable, however the chair was very stiff and much more uncomfortable than it looked on TV. He took a long look around the bedroom he was in. He had seen it before, in movies and shows, and even in video games, but had never been present in it. It was a lot smaller than he expected it to be, with a simple bed, and a couple night side stands, and a large wardrobe. And he had made a mess all over everything.

The pope had been long accused of a variaty of crimes, from human trafficing to child pornography, however the charges had been swept under the rug quickly due to his position. When some strong evidence was brought to light but the man wasn’t even taken to the court, that’s when the Suits, or well, himself, decided to take things into his own hands. Generally the Suits took contracts, and that was how they made money, but Marco did this one simply out of principle. 

The pope's body was on the floor, entrails splayed out across the room. Marco stood from the uncomfortable white chair and moved to the open window, looking out at the holy city, a lit cigar between his fingers. On the little figner of his right hand, he wore the pope’s Piscatory ring.

He watched the rain trickle down slowly and the lights of the city twinkle in the blackness of the night. He blew out a whiff of smoke into the air with a sigh, stubbing the cigar out on the window sill. He turned one last time around to gaze at his handiwork in the bedroom, now painted with blood. He looked down at the corpse and recited insincerely, “Forgive me father, for I have sinned.”

Marco Bodt. King of Clubs. Ruthless, Predatory, Unpredictable. 

\--

Levi’s jaw dropped as he looked at the scene on TV of the pope’s chambers and the story of the missing Piscatory ring. Drawn in blood on the ground was the small, familiar three-leafed club symbol. 

“God damn, him and Eren have to be so fucking dramatic. What was he doing all the way in italy?”

“He went there to visit his family in Sicily, he told me, and then it seems like all that came up and it was something he had to do out of personal conviction. He's very religious, you know. He was pretty adamant about it when he called me and told me. He yelled for like an hour in Italian about rightous justice. I wasn’t going to be the one to stop him.” Erwin responded.

Levi rolled his head back, groaning at the ceiling.

“We should probably take it easy for just a bit. But as usual, I’m sure things will blow over soon enough.” Erwin continued.

“Hmm, not really with this, no. This is a big deal, Erwin.”

“Well, people are people. They like new drama. They'll move on as soon as something more exciting happens.”

Levi sighed. “Sure. Whatever you say. I’ll see you soon, Erwin.”

“See you soon.”

\--

Armin stood in the kitchen of his small apartment, Jean a few steps away in the dining room. Both of them had frozen halfway through their macaroni and cheese dinner to catch the news:

"Our top story today, the Pope was found murdered in his sleeping chambers last night. It was a brutal scene, his entrails were completely torn out of him in the most vicious manner. He had been widely accused of many child pornography as well as sex trafficking cases, however had never been on trial, despite the mounds of evidence. The police are connecting this with the assassin group known only as ‘Suits’ but there is no further information at this time.

Closer to home, Renown State Senator Andrew Sapowski called 911 yesterday after he claims the crime organization known as The Shadow Brokers broke into his home and downloaded confidential documents off of his home computer, then sold them to an outside source. Not much is known about this organization, except they acquire then sell confidential information upon requests from clients. They appear to run mostly on an online forum where people can submit requests and jobs will be picked up depending on interest and monetary value. No eyewitness accounts had verified any sort of usable information regarding The Shadow Brokers.  Anyone hearing news about either the Suits or the The Shadow Brokers, please report to your local police station immediately.

“We were on the news again.” Armin murmerred. “And...the pope, The Suits. That’s crazy.”

“Crazy awesome.” Jean responded. “There are always people that deserve to die but will beat the system because of status and loopholes. Hearing that justice comes for them too is really liberating.”

Armin sat forward a little in his seat. “But then what? What happens to the system? What happens when people stop trusting each other but instead start believing in shadows and phantoms? I’m not saying that crime fighters are bad, but society can’t depend on vigilantism.”

Jean shrugged. “You’re right. It's just good to see some cold hard justice sometime.”

“Well, and everyone has different reasons for why they do things, also. Like this guy was really bad. There’s no excuse for something like that. But what about us? We sell information. Are we the good guys or the bad guys?”

Jean bit his lip. “I think we’re just regular people just trying to get by in our own way.”

“Exactly, see what I mean? Everyone has hidden motives, reasons, justification for their actions. No one is a true villain unto themselves.”

Jean yawned and sat back in his chair, looking at the tv. “Yeah, I guess. All I can say is, lets stay out of these guy’s paths. Because I don’t want my entrailes all over the bedroom floor. No sir.”

Armin nodded heartily in agreement. 

Armin Arlert and Jean Kristen. The Shadow Brokers. Intuitive, Creative, Smart.

It wouldnt be soon before, against their will, all their worlds would violently collide.


	3. I've Burnt My Tongue And The Whole Day Is Ruined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, Friends! Happy Christmas eve! I can't believe its almost the end of the year already!
> 
> Our characters will begin to have more interaction within the next couple chapters...still working a bit of a slow build. Hang tight with me!
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone's who has read, commented and subscribed, I love reading your comments and knowing you like the story makes it worth writing <3\. 
> 
> On with the show!

“Its there. “On your left.” Armin spoke softly into the speaker piece on his headphones, which was attached to a small commuincation device tucked in his front pocket. 

He swivelled in his desk chair, holding a small flip-up video device in his palms, peering at the screen, watching the live video feed play out. 

The video appeared to be from a first person perspective, from a camera that was mounted on his partner’s shoulder. Jean was entering at large, richly decorated room, centered around a wide, cherry-oak desk covered in neatly stacked paperwork and a tall backed leather chair. Through the headset, Armin directed him where to go softly.

“The painting. To your right, no-other right, hanging over the fish tank. Yes, there.”

Jean followed his orders, walking swiftly and cautiously over to the fish tank, hands reaching out and removing the large, old fashioned painting of a man on a rearing horse from the wall and placing it on the ground. Behind the painting was hidden a large steel-reinforced safe.

Jean pulled out a rubber thumb glove, rolled it over his digit and pressed his thumb onto the fingerprint scanner. The light beeped green, and revealed an electronic keypad on the face of the safe.

“Six, four, four, one, nine, seven, eight.” Armin said quietly, and Jean repeated the numbers as he typed each one. Armin hummed in confirmation, carefully looking out the frosted glass doorway, watching the shadowed figures walk up and down the hallway. He returned his attention to the small screen and watched his partner imput the code into keypad. A green light blinked, and with a light hydraulic hissing, and the safe clicked. Turning the large handle, Jean yanked the heavy reinforced door open to find stacks of documents and rolls of cash, along with diamonds and other jewelry.

"The files. There should be two in there, last name Gearhart, first names Synthia and Anthony." Armin said quietly, and Jean hurriedly began digging in the safe, looking through the stacks of papers until he found the correct files and slid him into his open backpack. 

Swinging the door to the safe shut, he replaced the picture above the fish tank, covering any traces that he had been inside. The camera was taken from his shoulder, thrown on the floor and stomped on, killing the feed.

Armin grinned, and taking the small video device he had been watching in his hands, he snapped it in half at the hinges. He took the old fashioned communicator out of his pocket, and made his way across the classroom, where he put the items in the microwave and turned it on for 10 minutes. After a few moments he heard the electronics spark and fizzle, lending the classroom a slight plastic smell. When he was certain the evidence was fried, he scooped it out of the microwave carefully, and strode out into the hallway, depositing it in three separate trash cans around the school.

He made his way back into his classroom and sat down at the desk, just as the first bell rang. Middle school students began to file in the room noisily, taking seats at the the generic metal desks and pulling out binders and reading materials. After a few more minutes the class had filled almost completely and the second bell rang.  


Upon them all sitting down, he rose from his large metal desk in the front of the room and greeted them cheerfully, straightening out his checkered sweater vest and khaki pants. 

"Good morning Mr. Arlert" and "Hello's" responded to his greeting, followed up by a "I like your sweater vest, Mr. Arlert," from one of the girls in the back row, making Armin let out a soft chuckle.

He had been a middle school history and literature teacher for three years. He loved the position, but also, it provided the perfect cover for he and Jean's side job. Teachers were friendly, unassuming, and safe. Never anyone out of the ordinary. The last person someone would suspect.

“Please pass your homework essays to the front row." He said, rising from his seat approaching the front row of desks to pick up the papers.

Shuffles of papers came from backpacks and binders and were passed to the front of the room where he walked around, picking them up, then turned to drop them in his inbox. He then instructed the class to pull out their world history books, and began teaching in a lively and excited tone, the students taking notes as he wrote on the board. 

Three class periods went by. Teaching different levels of english and history kept him pretty busy during the day.  He was half way through Advanced Literature studies for the 8th graders when a light knock came on the door. “Mr. Arlert?” The voice was low, in a baritone that was deep and smooth. He knew who it was instantly and had been expecting his no doubt show-stopping visit all day.

“Yes, come in.” He responded, pausing word definition demonstration on the board mid-sentence.

The door squeaked open and in walked his tall, sandy-haired, green eyed partner, flashing a dashing smile to the room. The girls in the room immediately began murmuring as they looked over his fireman getup, his blue shirt that said “Stayton Fire Department", dirtied jeans and steel toed boots. 

He was wearing two piercings in his left ear and his colorful tattoo sleeve that crept down his right arm was visible due to the tee shirt he was wearing.

All the young girls in the room swooned upon seeing the long-legged, very handsome man. He didn't come to see Armin very often, but the days he did were often talked about for weeks following.

"Armin, I mean Mr. Arlert." Jean corrected himself with a flirty wink. 

"Hello, Jean, what brings you here?" 

Jean strolled over to the desk, leaning up against it casually and laying a colorful peechee folder on Armin's desk. "You left these reports at my apartment yesterday. I was in the area before work so I thought I'd drop them off for you."

Armin smiled. "Thanks Jean, that's really thoughtful of you."

Jean winked. "Don't worry about it. Anything for you, Armin, my love. My light."

Armin rolled his eyes so hard he nearly saw his brain, but the class swooned as Jean lavished their teacher in sweet words. 

"Thank you, Jean." Armin said with a sweet smile. "Is there anything else you need from me right now? I am in the middle of a class. Why did they let you in the building, come to think of it?" 

Jean winked, pointing at his shirt. 

Fireman. Jean's job held a sexy title, and Jean was good at it, the occupation turning Jean into a strong, cut, brave man. However, with his 3 days on, 4 days off schedule at the fire station, paired with him being one of those unsung hometown heroes, it was another perfect cover. 

"I'll see you after work, Jean." Armin said with a smile.

"The usual place, I hope. I always look forward to our dates, my bae." 

"Usual place, 7:00." Armin said, the students leaning forward in their chairs as if they were catching a secret conversation between two lovers. 

"I'll be counting the hours until then." Jean said dramatically as he left. 

Armin's phone dinged moments after Jean walked out the door, and Armin already knew what the text was. He slipped it out of his pocket and stole a glance at it. The message was from Jean, an address, and a series of numbers, 041.51. 

Armin smiled, trying to pick up where he left off with his lesson, but the students buzzed about, discussing the new exciting “drama". 

He eyed the colorful folder Jean had laid on his desk. He didn't need to look inside, he knew that inside were the files Jean had stolen earlier that day from the safe. Files worth $12,500 to the right buyer. Now it was his turn for the drop. 

"Mr. Arlert, is Jean your boyfriend?" A bespectacled girl drawled from the second row. 

"He's like THE hottest guy ever. And, he's a fireman! You should TOTALLY marry him." 

Armin sighed, rolling his eyes. "No, Mr. Kirstein is not my boyfriend. And we are not getting married." 

"Are you sure, because he is like, SO into you." Another girl stated, leaning forward in her chair. 

Armin rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. He knew how much Jean liked to rile people up just for the heck of it. Now the rest of the day would be a total wash if they were on the "Lets talk about Mr. Arlert and Jean trail" yet again. Oh well. At least tomorrow was Saturday. 

He went to his desk, sitting down in the old, pea-colored rolling chair. Leaning forward, he ran his finger over the edge of the colorful folder with a smile. 

Jean was a lot of things. Short tempered. Flirtatious. Cocky. But he was also a lifelong friend, the best partner in crime, and someone he could always count on. 

After class, Armin pulled on a dark wig and a pair of big glasses, changing out of his sweater vest and slacks into simple street clothes. He followed the address in the text message, and found himself at the public library. He recognized the number code at once as the familiar Dewey decimal library numbering system. 

He took the stairs two at a time, following the numbers on the book spines and soon found himself in the old, unused reference section. The books were a bit dusty and no one was around, as all the reference information was now instantly available for access on the internet. He found the book he was looking for, numbered 041.51. It was the letter "X" encyclopedia Britannica, which looked like it hadn't been used in some time. 

He pulled the tall, thick book off the shelf, surprised at how light it was. he opened the encyclopedia up, and realized that the majority of the pages had been cut out of it, creating a hiding place inside the book. Placed inside the hollowed out book were two fresh stacks of 100 dollar bills. 

Armin pulled the money out, slipping it into his computer bag, and hurriedly replaced the bills with the important files. When he was finished, he put the book back in it's place and exited the library discreetly. When he had driven a few blocks from the library, he texted the buyer that the job was complete. 

\--

At 7:00, he was back in the usual place, the bar called Scouts, sitting next to Jean at the counter. He had showered and changed into some comfortable clothes, his blonde hair pulled back into a gentle ponytail. Finally relaxed. 

The same waitress that seemed to work every night came to take their order. She was serious-faced but polite, with dark hair and dark eyes. She wasn't personable by any stretch of the imagination, but she seemed to run a tight ship and get things done. 

“Good to see you again. The usual?” She asked curtly, and the two nodded. She poured them both a double shot of fireball before walking swiftly off to help another customer. 

Jean held his shot up first, in a silent question. 

Done?

Armin held his glass up with a smile, tinking the bottom together with his partner's. 

Done. 

They both smiled after their cheers, drinking the burning liquid simultaneously, followed, as usual, by a cough and slapping each other on the back. 

Mission accomplished. 

\--

Levi carefully snipped the woman's hair with precision, finishing off a fine, feathered cut. Emotion was boiling down deep inside of him, in his gut, for a series of reasons. It had been bad recently, but Marco's show in Italy just had pushed him a bit over the edge. He was ready to fight someone. 

He cashed the lady out politely, turning to clean up his work station as she made her way out the door. As soon as she opened the door to exit, there was a muted thumping noise, and the woman let out a high pitched squeak, followed by a flirty, high pitched laugh. "Oh my lordy, I didn't even see you there!" 

"Scuse me ma'am, I'm sure that was my fault."

Levi turned at the voice, his eyes narrowing. Marco was in the doorway. Of all people. He was too busy conversing with the blushing older woman at the entrance to notice Levi crushing the hair cutting shears in his hand and tearing off his apron. 

As soon as the woman had exited, Marco's eyes met Levi's the smaller man growled. 

"Nice to see you too. I just thought I would stop by for a haircut." The curly haired, freckled man smiled. He was dressed in a button down forest green shirt and grey pinstripe pants, his suit jacket lazily thrown over his arm like he was out for a Sunday stroll. 

"I'll give you a cut. I'd love to take a chunk out of your ass right now." Levi said, gripping the scissors by the middle and throwing them at Marco like a dart. Marco lifted his wrist, skillfully glancing the scissors off the metal in his watch. 

"Coming on a little strong there, Levi. You're really not my type." Marco joked, making Levi even angrier. 

The ravenette bounded toward him, kicking with one foot off of a nearby chair and launching into the air while drawing another pair of sharp shears from his waistband. 

Marco had a gun out of his pants in a flash, arm outstretched. In a second, Levi's head was up against the cold steel of the well dressed man's gun, the smaller man's hairdressing shears pressing into the larger man's throat.

"You've been so testy lately." Marco said. "Just calm the fuck down, Levi."

"Don't tell me to calm down, you asshole." He said, pressing the shears into Marco's throat. "Do you realize what you've done? You put all your lives at risk with your stupid religious crusade. You've never been anything but a selfish, hotheaded prick." 

Marco rolled his eyes. "You need a vacation, Levi."

"Fuck you, Marco. I need the people around me to stop their incessant jackassary and let me think straight for once!" 

Marco snorted, pressing his gun into Levi's forehead, forcing him to back up a bit and pull the scissors away from where they were making a red mark on his throat. 

"So what, you think I can't take care of myself? I don't know how to clean up my own hit?"

Levi growled. "I saw it on TV, Marco, I saw your mark at the crime scene!" 

"Which means a fuckton of nothing, Levi. The King of Clubs is a symbol. A ghost. And don't get all self righteous with me. I know you leave a calling card at your hits too." 

Levi crinkled his nose, the anger coursing through him. He was angry. So angry. About everything.

"You need to stop worrying so much, Levi. You never used to be this way. What's got up your ass recently?" There was a long pause, and Marco smirked, following up with, "Or is the answer to that 'nothing' and that's the problem?" He chuckled at his own sense of humor. 

Levi grunted, pressing the tip of his scissors into Marco's throat again, Marco pressing his gun into Levi's forehead in turn. He knew Marco already knew the problem. What had driven him to this anxious, angry state. Everyone did. It was the elephant in the room. 

It was him. Eren. Confusing him. Tying his gut up in knots. Keeping him awake at night, running through his mind. He couldn't seem to make it better. If anything, it was getting worse. 

"We've all told you--" 

"Shut the fuck up, Marco." Levi warned, his head hanging in exhaustion. "Don't even with me. I'll kill you right now."

Marco smirked. "I'd love to see you try."

Levi growled, eyes narrowing into slits at the challenge. Perfect. He had been ready and waiting for a fight. 

That very second, the bell above the door jingled, and Erwin walked in, dressed as always in a fancy tailored suit, Eren following in jeans, a flannel and a beanie, a soft guitar case slung over his back. The two were greeted by the sight of Marco with his gun pressed to Levi's forehead and the smaller man with his cutting shears pressed into Marco's throat.

"Levi. Marco. Hands down." Erwin said firmly, and Marco and Levi looked over to see the two that had just entered. 

Marco rolled his eyes, holstering his weapon. "Yes, DAD." He said sarcastically, while Levi made a 'tsk' sound, giving Erwin a death glare. 

"What are you doing here," He asked, looking from Erwin to Eren, "...And why are you dressed like a hipster at open mic night?" he added, looking at Eren's guitar and attire.

"I'm working down at that coffee shop on 3rd doing live music." Eren explained. 

"And I came to discuss a contract we've been offered." Erwin said pulling up a chair and sitting down.

Marco picked up his pinstripe jacket that had fluttered to the ground during Levi's first assault, shaking it out. "Finally."

"Marco, its been three days since Italy. You should really sit out for quite a bit longer."

"What's the contract?" Levi asked dryly.

"Starwood Pharmaceuticals." 

"Who are the targets?" Marco asked.

"The CEO, and CFO."

Eren shook his head, scratching underneath his stubby brown half pony. "I don't know. That's... Starwood's a big deal. And we just picked on the wrong people in Italy too--"

"Six million." Erwin cut in.

"What?" Levi asked, a confused look on his face. 

"That's how much they're offering."

There was silence between them all for a moment. 

"I'll do it." Marco said. 

"No." The other three said simultaneously.

"You're in fucking time out." Levi said shoving a finger into Marco's chest, happy that Erwin nodded in agreement (not like that ever stopped Marco from doing anything). 

"Levi, its either myself or you." Erwin said.

Levi breathed a sigh of relief that Eren was left out of the equation. "I can. No big deal. I'll do it tonight."

Levi walked past the rest of his team into the street, the door swinging closed behind him. Eren hesitated, then followed Levi outside. There was a quick interchange, followed by Levi shrugging the younger man off and moving off down the street. 

"Are you going to do something about them?" Marco asked, looking at Eren standing dejectedly on the sidewalk, before walking off in the opposite direction Levi went in.

"Like what? If you have any ideas, please, I'm all open to suggestions."

"Lock them in a room for a few days."

"Right. That'd be a grand idea." Erwin said sarcastically. They'd break out and murder me. Or, Levi would, at least."

"We can't go on like this. Levi isn't at peak performance, and Eren's getting worn down by his rejection. They're going to be the death of us all."

Erwin sighed. "What do you want me to do, Marco."

"I don't know. What started this all?"

Erwin ran his fingers through his blonde hair. "Just...age, I think. Eren growing older. Beginning to use his body more in his seduction techniques, that paired with Levi continuing to slowly and painfully fall more in love with him." 

"Levi." Marco murmured. "Terrifying and cold, but I’d say he’s got the biggest conscience out of all of us." 

“Conscience is a funny way to look at it. Maybe he just doesn’t like dirtying his hands when he doesn’t need to. He always gets the specified job done. Just because he dosen’t like to fingerpaint in the target’s blood doesn’t mean its more right or more wrong. And with he and Eren...What is there to say? Eren uses his body as a weapon, and then turns around and offers it to Levi, saying that he loves him, that he's the only one for him. But how is he to believe it, when he’s said it to countless other men or women. Its not a walk in the park to accept a confession from him, partially because he doubts Eren even knows what those words mean.” 

Marco hummed, running his fingers through his thick curly hair. "I get it." 

Erwin hummed, and the two men stood, lost in thought, looking for a solution for their wounded team, but none came. 

"What happened in Italy, Marco?" Erwin said after awhile. 

Marco hummed. "Nothing too exciting." 

"They'll run us down for that, Marco." 

Marco shook his head. "Don't think so. See, there was only one thing missing from the crime scene. Something very important, and the one thing the police will be looking for." 

"The Pope's signant ring." 

"That's right." 

"Where is it?" 

"You'll see soon enough." Marco smirked, throwing his jacket over his shoulder and heading toward the door. 

Erwin sighed. "Marco."

"Catch you later, Erwin."

"Where are you off to?" 

"Mikasa said I could help her in her dumb bar while I'm banished from my real job."

Erwin smiled. "Good. Behave, okay?"

Marco gave him the middle finger as he walked out the door.

\--

Levi looked down at the stab wound in his side. Shit.

This wasn't going like he thought it would. 

He had put down the CEO at Starwood Pharmaceuticals as contracted quite easily. The man had still been in his office working late, and Levi finished him quickly with a hair grab and a slash across the throat. The CFO was also still working late into the evening and saw Levi coming down the hallway for him, bloodied daggar in hand. 

The CFO ran, Levi chasing after him and tackling him. In a fit of panic, the CFO turned and stabbed the assassin in the hip with a pen. 

Levi hissed in pain, giving the man a chance to kick him off and scramble onto his feet, running down the hallway and taking off down a flight of stairs. 

The silver eyed assassin chased the man down the staircase and into a lower floor, grabbing his dagger tightly. He finally had an open shot as the man attempted to run straight away down the hall. He threw his dagger with precision, embedding it in the side of the man's throat. 

Blood spurted across the hallway as the man fell to his knees, gasping and bleeding out quickly. 

Levi walked to him, yanking his dagger out of the man's throat. The man reached up, his bloodied hand swiping across Levi's face before he collapsed on the floor, dead.

Levi grimaced, wiping the blood from his face and looking at the round, pulsing wound on his side. Marco had been right. He was distracted, he couldn't even do his job any more. 

He put his hand over his wound and limped into the bathroom to make sure he had gotten the blood off of his face. He then stuffed some paper towels in his waistband, to slow the bleeding until he could get home. If he could get home.

He passed the CFO's bleeding body in the hallway as he was leaving, and did the most important thing. Squatting down, ignoring the pain in his hip, he pulled up the man's left pant leg and taking his sharp dagger, cut the shape of the spade into his ankle swiftly. 

With that, he wiped the dagger clean and tossed it in the large industrial trash as he took a back alley exit. 

He limped a few blocks, aiming for where his car was parked. He looked down at his side again, realizing that he was bleeding much worse than he thought. The blood has seeped through the paper towels and soaked through his pants, and was running down his leg. "Fuck." He murmured to himself, leaning up against a nearby building. Luckily it was getting later and darker and there were few people in sight. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily. He pulled out his cell phone, doing the last possible thing that he wanted to do. 

\-- 

Eren was inbetween sets at his coffee shop job, sitting in a small back room, his guitar leaning up against the wall next to him. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out, nearly doing a double take when he looked at the screen. It was a very old picture of himself and Levi at a carnival, they were similar heights at the time, Eren holding a balloon, a large toothy smile on his face, Levi serious faced, his arm protectively around Eren's shoulders. Back then, things were good. Before things got so...complicated.

"Lee?" Eren picked up the phone. 

"Eren." His voice was rapsy. 

"Lee, what's going on?" He asked, standing from his stool, suddenly afraid. 

"Eren. Help me." 

\-- 

Eren pounded down the street in a full panic to the place Levi had described to him. He found Levi nearby the street, his left side covered in blood, barely breathing. 

Eren grabbed him by the shirt, shaking him. "Lee! Oh my god, Levi! No!" His panicked shaking was followed up by a hiccupped sob as he tried to decide if he should do CPR, then realized he didn't know how. He didn't know why Levi had called him. He had no idea what he was doing. 

"Oh my god, Levi!" He choked again, his mind spinning. 

Levi was dying. He was dying. There was nothing he could do. He fumbled with his cell phone, trying to dial 911 as he held Levi closely to him. His phone fell from his shaky hands as he sobbed. 

Get it together, Eren. 

Another pair of feet was heard running up, and there was a deep soothing voice. "Stand back." 

Eren looked over his shoulder and saw a tall, green eyed man, brow furrowed as he surveyed the scene. 

"Please. Let me help. I'm a fireman. I'm medically trained." 

Eren nodded, choking back a sob as he laid Levi's body on the ground. 

"My name's Jean." He introduced himself, kneeling beside Levi and putting his hand over the wound on his side, "And I need you to call 911 right now." 


	4. Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for your comments, subscriptions and kudos! Knowing you are enjoying the story makes it worth writing!

Quiet singing and the picking of a ukulele echoed around the white-walled hospital room. Eren sat next to Levi's bed, singing softly while strumming the small musical instrument resting on his thigh. One leg was outstretched, resting on the side of the bed.

I have climbed highest mountains  
I have run through the fields  
Only to be with you  
Only to be with you  
I have run I have crawled  
I have scaled these city walls these city walls  
Only to be with you  
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for  
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

Only the slow beeping of the hospital monitor answered him back as he continued to softly sing to the man who appeared asleep in bed. 

It felt like they had been there forever. How long had it been? So much had happened that night. His first night at his new job. Levi's call. The fireman who saved Levi's life. Ambulance. Hospital. 

The heart monitor continued to beep in the background, slow and steady, as Eren looked over Levi's small frame in the bed. There were multiple IVs in his arm, giving him liquids and blood, and a small tube under his nose, administering a puff of oxygen every few seconds. 

Eren sighed and looked up at the white analog clock on the wall. 4:12 am. He had been there awhile. What time was it when Levi called him? 8:00? Maybe? Later than that? He had been there all through the night disrupting Levi's dreams with his mediocre ukulele skills. 

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for  
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

The door to the hospital room opened with a soft squeak, and Erwin stood in the doorway, listening for a moment to Eren's soft crooning of the acoustic U2 song. Eren was so many things. Beautiful, talented, soft. It wasn't a wonder why he had fallen perfectly into the role of King of Hearts. No one could fill it like he could. He was a mystery. A vixen. He was light. Or so it appeared. 

But the people who knew him knew the truth. They could see it, no matter how much he tried to hide it. He was cold. Sad. Exhausted. From trying so hard, and never being enough. 

The brunette then turned to Erwin, ceasing his strumming.

"That's nice." Erwin said quietly, referring to Eren's singing. 

He shrugged. "It's nothing. I just wish I could do more for him." 

The large blonde crossed the room, moving to stand beside the younger man and ruffling his shaggy dark locks with his hand. Eren flopped his head against Erwin's hips in a sleepy manner. He looked dead tired, his eyes a bit reddened from lack of sleep and tears. 

"You got him here." Erwin said quietly. "You did the most important thing." 

Eren shrugged, rubbing his eye with the back of his wrist. 

"How is he?" 

"I don't know. He hasn't moved or anything. The doctor said he was stable a bit ago." Eren replied quietly.

"Good. Good. You can go home now, Eren."

"I'd rather stay."

"Go home, Eren. Get some sleep." Erwin said, gently ruffling Eren's hair again.

"But..." 

"Eren, you're no good to anyone in this condition. Not to yourself, not to us, not to Levi. Go sleep. You've done enough for today, ok?" 

The brunette nodded, putting the ukulele down on the counter behind him.

"Is that your...mini guitar?" Erwin asked, looking at the small instrument. 

"Nope." Eren said, rising from his chair and stretching. "The nurse asked if I needed anything and I said a guitar. Then she brought me that."

Erwin shook his head laughing a little. Unbelievable. The things people would do for Eren. 

"Go home. Get some sleep. Things are going to be okay."

Eren nodded, passing Erwin and heading out the door.

As soon as he had exited, Erwin approached the bed, looking down at the smaller man tucked under the white sheets. Levi. They had been though a lot together. They all had. The past 10 years had changed them greatly. 

In the beginning, Marco had been hired to kill Erwin. It was supposed to be an easy job. Marco was ex-Italian mob turned hitman for hire, and Erwin was a trust fund baby. But when Marco found himself face down with a gun to the back of his head, something else was born. A team. People that had come from everything, but didn't have a place to belong. Levi came soon after, a back alley scrapper without a roof over his head or a family. The Suits gave him both. 

Eren was last. The 13 year old kid counting cards at a casino. Captivating. Bright. Charismatic. He grabbed onto Levi's coattails and held. 

Ten years later, so much had changed. At the same time, so much had stayed the same. Erwin looked Levi's body over. He looked so tired, even in rest. Something had to give. They were all just so damn worn out. 

"Wake up. I know you can hear me." Erwin said, looking at Levi's small chest rise and fall.

There was no response. 

When he didn't stir, Erwin sighed, and then reached out and flicked Levi's fresh wound, carefully bandaged over on his side. 

"Ow, Fuck me, Erwin! You asshole!" Levi yelled, his eyes shooting open. A smirk hinted on Erwin's face.

"You could have just woken up when I told you I knew you were awake."

"Whatever. Did you come here just to give me some stern talking to? Fuck you."

"Fuck you now? Hardly an appropriate time, Levi. You should be resting." He smirked at his joke.

Levi rolled over on his uninjured side away from Erwin, giving him the middle finger. "Hilarious. Hi-fucking-larious. Asshole." He said, covering up his injury. 

Erwin smiled, sitting down in the chair Eren had previously been occupying. "So you were just playing dead, listening to Eren play heartfelt love songs for you all night? Couldn't find anything to talk about?"

Levi didn't respond. 

"Tell me what happened, Levi. Why did you call Eren? Why didn't you call either myself, the man with all the connections everywhere, or Marco, the ex-mafia, who could have sutured your wound closed on the sidewalk with his eyes closed?"

"I don't know. I just..." He didn't finish his sentence. It was something along the lines of 'I didn't want to die without seeing him one last time' but that would be way too sentimental. Erwin knew the answer well enough though.

"It all worked out so it's fine." Levi finished. 

"Mm. Are you going to tell me what happened?" 

\-- 

"It was no big deal, really." Jean said, coming into he and Armin's apartment, shucking his coat and beginning the story, Armin following him around, waiting excitedly. 

"Seriously Jean, I can't believe you just walked down the street and saved someone's life! That's amazing!" 

"It wasn't really as horrifying as it looked, I don't think. It looks like he was stabbed pretty forcefully in the gut by something pretty blunt, maybe a pen? From what I could tell it would have missed anything serious from the location, and there was a ton of blood, but from what his friend told me, Eren, he took a lot of pain reliever for migraines, so it probably thinned his blood and made it look really terrifying. It was serious, no doubt, but I'm sure he's stable now." 

"But, Jean, that's because of you. Blood thinners are still a big deal. He probably would have bled out if you hadn't been there before the ambulance arrived." 

Jean shrugged. "I'm really glad I was. All in a day's work I guess!" 

"Wooow." Armin breathed as he plopped down in the desktop chair in front of their enormous three-screened computer. They used thir custom-built computer for all of their big hacks. The computer was fast and smart, one they had built from the ground up to suit their exact needs. 

Overall their apartment was small, one room Armin used as a bedroom, the other was used as the office, with their huge computer, two locked metal filing cabinets for organization, and a tall heavy-duty wall safe where they kept copies of all the information they picked up, just in case. 

Jean slept on a cozy futon in the living room, which was attached to an open kitchen and dining room. A small deck outside looked down on a parking lot. It was their home. 

"Have you looked at the forum today?" Jean asked, as he walked into the bathroom, slipping off his clothes and jumping into the shower. Armin shook his head as if Jean could hear him, and then went to the large safe, putting in the six digit code code he swung the door open and pulled out an old Nokia phone that always sat on the top shelf. 

The phone was thick and heavy, a relic from the very beginning of the smartphone age. He took it into the bathroom where Jean was and hopped up on the counter, plugging the phone in next to him. He flipped it on and watch the old menu icons load. 

He found the app that they had created specifically for themselves, and burrowed in the backdoor of their website. It was untraceable, just like a dot floating in the middle of cyberspace. Unable to be found, except for people who already knew where it was. Word of mouth was spreading about them more and more, and the requests were becoming more steady. The forum was the one place buyers could post requests for their services.

Armin made himself comfortable on the bathroom counter, reading the new requests aloud to Jean. 

“Corporate espionage, nope we don’t do that.” Armin murmured as he scrolled. "Murder, nope, not our thing... 

"Okay, here." He said, stopping on a thread. “Need information about INTEL’s Sarah Parker. Payout is $13,000. Sounds easy enough.” 

“No," Jean said, peeking around the blue striped shower curtain, "Sarah Parker is too close to the spotlight right now. She just got engaged to that young movie star, Chance Walker? The last we need is private investigators out for us. Let’s skip it.” 

"Right. I forgot about that." Armin murmured. "Okay, how about ‘Manager of the bank that is skimming funds, need to get into their laptop and everything to track data, $450.00 payout…” 

"Boring. Chump change. Next?" Jean said. 

Armin scrolled some more. "Well, this...eeeh...payout is $50,000. They need the information that Shawn Tryer carries in his work cell phone." 

Jean was quiet for a minute. "Shawn Tryer....isn't he..." 

"Secretary of State. Yeah." 

"I don't want to go to prison. I'm sure we can find something else." 

"Well, I don't know. I think we could do it." Armin said, thinking. 

"How?" Jean asked, peeking around the shower curtain again. 

"I could do the pull. Then we could meet up and do the hack. It would have to be fast. Really fast. As soon as they realize it's missing, they'll lock it and we'll be screwed." 

"He's in the city, and people see him all the time on public transit." 

"I could grab it off of him on the train. And we'd have it hacked and destroyed before he even gets to the office or wherever he was going that he'd need to use it." 

"If you think you can do the pull, that's the most important part. I can do the hack no problem." 

Armin nodded slowly. "Yeah. I got it. So yes, we're accepting that one? It's a lot of money." 

"Yeah, sure. That should help us float for a bit." 

Armin accepted the job, typing in a few terms and conditions for the buyer. 

"Jean," Armin said, jumping down from the counter and closing the phone when he was finished, "After the job tomorrow, do you want to go on a trip for a few days?" 

His partner turned the water off, reaching out of the shower and grabbing his towel off the hook in the wall. 

"Sure, that sounds fun, where do you want to go?" 

"Pyre. It's the anniversary of my parents death."

"Shoot, I forgot about that, I'm sorry." Jean said quietly. "I'll buy the tickets for...Tuesday through Thursday. Will that work? I'm off those days. 

Armin nodded. "Yeah perfect. Looking forward to it. And after the job we'll even have a little cash to blow at the casinos there." 

Jean wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped out of the shower onto the bathmat. "Sounds perfect." He said with a smile. 

\-- 

That was the plan, at least. Work hard, play hard. The next day, they were supposed to be on a trip. This was supposed to be an easy enough job. Get in, get out. They had done it before. Now, as Armin was staring down the barrel of the gun between his eyes, he was realizing things definently did not go as planned. 

"Looking for this?" The well dressed man in the dark suit asked, holding up a simple black smartphone. 

Armin tilted his head to the side. "What are you talking about? I think you have the wrong idea. I just bumped into you on the train, no big deal, this is just a misunderstanding!" He was pretty sure his knees were knocking together and there were tears in his eyes. He was a hacker. An information broker. Smart, creative, nerdy. He wasn't an assassin. He wasn't fast or skilled with his hands or the art of defending himself. He was about to die. 

The man grabbed Armin by the tiny throat, slamming him against the back alley wall. "Don't lie to me. It was a good attempt. Anyone not expecting it would have had one pulled over on them." 

This had been a setup from the beginning. They should have been expecting this. Obviously, somewhere along the lines, it was bound to happen. 

"Are you going to kill me?" Armin squeaked. 

"I should." The man said, pressing the gun into Armin's throat. "You're a nuisance. But, I have bigger fish to fry at the time." He played with the cell phone in one hand, then turned it around to show Armin the news article. 'Two executives found dead at Starwood Pharmaceuticals.' 

"Oh my god, how come I never heard about that?" Armin said quietly. He kept up with the news, it was an important part of his job. But this was something he hadn't heard about. 

"Because the story never ran. Starwood swept it under the rug. Continued operations. Replaced the executives immediately. Starwood is a well oiled machine. Everyone there works as part of a whole. The whole company is run from an outside source, everyone there is just a pawn. Completely disposable." 

"Are you sure you should be telling me this?" Armin said slowly. 

"Dosen't quite matter, does it? Are you planning on doing something about it? No one can move against Starwood Pharmaceuticals. Its common knowledge the things Starwood has been accused of. Human test trials, poisioning drinking water, causing cancer in their workers, and more. But still it continues. It thrives." 

Armin didn't have anything to say. Of course, everyone knew that about Starwood Pharmaceuticals. They were the baddies. Another big corporation doing big, shitty corporation things. But from the sounds of it, there was a lot more going on then even he knew about. 

"As I was saying, this is my city. 1.4 Million people live in Stayton as of March of this year. It's a big city. Starwood Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest companies on the globe, is headquartered here. The company, as well as the people in Stayton, have entrusted me to keep a tight reign on what goes on in my city. Do you understand what I mean?" 

Armin nodded, having no idea where the politician was going with his monologue. 

"There's a thorn in my flesh. Something that's not only affecting Stayton, but has been bleeding out, effecting nations and peoples all over the world. Do you know what that is?" 

"Federal income tax?" Armin squeaked. 

The man grabbed the blonde's mouth, forcing it open and thrusting the gun down it. "Don't get smart with me. It's the Suits, you jackass. Those God damn murderers running amok. We know they are somewhere out there, but no one seems to be able to find out one scrap of evidence about them. That's what you're going to do for me." 

"Huh?" The word that came out was supposed to be 'what', but since Armin had a gun touching the back of his throat, his words were a bit muffled. 

"It's easy, kid. Get the information. That's your job, right? Let's just say I'm hiring you. In five days, Saturday night, you'll deliver it to me, here, at this masquerade ball." He slipped a fancy invitation into Armin's front pocket. "Deliver the information, like you would to any other client, then, we'll leave you alone, and you can go back to your small fry jackassery. I don't give much of a damn about you. Don't deliver, I'll kill you, your partner, and whomever else you hold dear. You're a school teacher, right?" 

The question sent a shiver up Armin's spine as he thought about all the kids he worked with. The politician smiled at the reaction. 

"Think on that, kid." He said, yanking the gun from Armin's mouth, the blonde falling to his knees and grasping his throat as he was finally allowed to breathe again. "See you Saturday night." 

\--

Erwin sat with Levi in the hospital room the next afternoon looking up at the TV. Levi was indeed doing just fine, he would most likely be discharged the next morning, they wanted to keep watch over him for one more night, definitely against his will. For now, he was complaining about the hospital food and the buttless gown he was required to wear. 

"This is entirely indecent. Probably designed by some sick doctor perv looking for easy access." 

Erwin snorted. "Are you daydreaming about role playing again, Levi?" 

Levi crossed his arms, shooting a death glare to Erwin. "I'm serious. I can't believe I'm still in this. Where are my clothes?" 

"Long gone. They were biohazard due to the blood. Sorry. You'll probably have to wear that home, even." A smile pulled at one cheek. 

"Eh heh. Hilarious." 

"Well, take better care of yourself next time. Then you won't have to wear a hospital gown." 

Levi just grunted in response. 

Erwin stood, reaching for his suit jacket that was hanging over the back of his seat. 

"Where are you going?" Levi asked. 

"I have a bad feeling. I'm going to go see my informant in Pyre." 

"Hange? Why? What's the feeling?" 

"You killed those two men at Starwood yesterday, but here has been no press on it at all. They had that short bit about you getting stabbed by a murdering bystander with a pen. It's all the rage on the internet right now, by the way. People want to outlaw writing utensils." 

"Surprise surprise." 

"So they covered your story, yet there was absolutely nothing about one of the biggest companies in the world losing two of their top executives." 

Levi ran his fingers through his hair. That was true. Why hadn't he noticed that? What did it mean? 

"I don't know what it means." Erwin said, as if reading his thoughts. "But it seems sketchy. I'll see if Hange knows anything about it. I'll be back in a few days." 

"Tell her hi for me." 

"Will do. Marco said he and Mikasa will be down in a bit. They were busy at Scouts last night but today it should be ok to leave Petra in there alone for a couple hours while they come down. Marco says he's sure you don't need him to visit though, and you should stop being such a pussy and get out of bed." 

"Mmfh. Doesn't surprise me." Levi said, rolling his eyes. 

Erwin paused, wondering if Levi would ask the question he really wanted to know the answer to. He didn't, so Erwin answered anyway. 

"Eren's working at that place down on 3rd again today. He gets a lot of hours there, they really like him." 

"Course they do." Levi murmerred. 

"I can tell him to come in later, if you'd like." 

"No." Levi said, rolling over on his side. "Don't bother." 

\--

Levi awoke a few hours later. He wasnt sure when he had fallen asleep. All he knew was Erwin was gone and someone had changed the channel to some comedy show with a laugh track. He hated that. 

He felt something warm next to him on the bed and he looked over, his breath catching in his throat. 

Eren. 

The younger man was curled up next to him on top of the covers, hands resting underneath his head. He was dressed in a tan henley, a checkered scarf, ripped jeans and boat shoes, his beanie resting on the pillow above them. He was fast asleep, his thick, chocolate eyelashes pressed up against his cheeks in rest. 

Levi sighed as he looked at him. This is the Eren he had fallen in love with. The one that smelled like old spice and played the guitar and looked at him like he was the only man in the world. God, he was perfect. 

This is the Eren he first met those 10 years ago. He should have made him feel like he was enough at that time. But he let him slip through his fingers. 

He remembered the day it happened. Down to the very second. The conversation that changed their lives. It was a simple one. 

"I love you Levi. I love you so much!" He had said, wrapping his arms around Levi's shoulders. 

"Do you love me too, Levi?" 

He did. Why didn't he say yes that day? The 12 year age gap had seem so exponential at the time. 17 and 29. There was a world of difference between them. Eren wasn't even legal. But he had. He had always loved Eren. Every single day, since he met that cheeky, underfed kid counting cards. 

But he hadn't said yes. Instead, he said the single worst thing, and changed their entire lives. 

"Nah, brat. Maybe one day. If you ever grow the fuck up." 

He wasn't sure why he said it. Maybe because he didn't know what to say, or because he wasn't ready to admit it. To this day, he still wasn't sure why those words had come out of his mouth. 

He had loved Eren. More than life itself. The Eren who wanted to go to the amusement park, and watch cartoons, and fall asleep on the floor in front of a fireplace like a cat. The shitty brat that opened his presents before Christmas and thought that no one could tell, and ate all the m&ms out of the trail mix. That little bastard. 

But that Eren was gone after that day. Things changed. Eren changed. He wasn't that kid anymore. He became the King of Hearts. So he could stand alongside Levi shoulder to shoulder. So he could be part of the Suits. 

After all, that was what Levi had wanted, right? For him to grow up? 

He was grown up now. 

Levi had created the monster he loved and hated so much. 

It was his fault, and that was what he loathed the most. 

He had ruined Eren. He hated himself. 

He ran his finger gently down the sleeping boy's lips, risking the touch. Looking across the room, he saw Mikasa, keeper of their headquarters 'The Scouts' bar, asleep, her head resting on Marco's shoulder, Marco's head resting on top of her's. 

He leaned in, kissing Eren's forehead. He wouldn't know what to say if they ever had that conversation. About what Eren had become. About how, every day, Eren was still working so hard just for his approval. 

About how Eren had become something so stained and so used. Because that's what he asked of him. 

Don't open your eyes, Eren. Don't look up at me with those huge blue green orbs. 

Don't tell me that you love me.

I can't bear to hear those words, wondering who else you've said them to. Wondering who else's name you've cried out in passion. Wondering how many other men's arms you've fallen asleep in. 

Because of me. Because I wouldn't give you the affirmation you were needing. And now we've both become monsters.

I'm sorry. 

I'm sorry for everything. 


	5. Hotel California

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, everyone thank you so much for your likes and comments, I'm so appreciative for the amazing feedback I've been getting on Suits! I'm so happy to know that you are loving reading it!!
> 
> I accidently posted this while I was still in the rough draft stage, then had to repost when I was finished, so if two notifications about this chapter that is why.

Jean stared straight forward at the train seat in front of him, glassy eyed. Armin leaned forward in the seat next to him his head between his knees. Armin had explained the situation that had happened in the alley the day before, and the information they were required to retrieve and bring to the masquerade ball on Saturday. Since then, a silent, sickening dread had fallen over the two of them as they tried to evaluate their options- realizing that they didn't have many. 

They had decided to take their scheduled trip to Pyre as planned, even though their world as they knew it was seemingly about to end. Armin decided it was important for him to say goodbye to his parents, since this may be the last time he got to lay flowers on their grave. The sobering thought sickened the mood even further. 

The train gently jostled back and forth as it traversed the seven hour ride between the two cities. They had taken the annual trip together for the past six years, since they had moved in together when they were 20. They had been childhood friends, but drifted apart in their teens when they went to different high schools. They met again in college by chance, Armin pursuing his education degree, and Jean a fire science certification. Their friendship was rekindled, as were their childhood dreams of being spies, secret agents, and eventually, their jobs as information brokers took wing. 

Now look where that had gotten them. 

They couldn't decide who they were more afraid of, the Suits, a terrifying group of assassins who could absolutely crush them, or Starwood Pharmaceuticals, a global corporation who could hunt them down anywhere and destroy them and everything they loved. 

They had been presented with an impossible choice. 

No doubt they had already thought through all the options individually as they sat in silence, the metallic train sound in the background. 

They could run away. They could call the police. They could run an elaborate hack on Starwood instead. 

None of the alternate ideas were feasible or made sense. When it came down to it, really, they only had once choice. Deliver the information. 

If Starwood didn't kill them that night after the delivery, no doubt the Suits would soon after. Knowing your days are numbered is a sick, surreal feeling. 

Jean reached forward, putting his hand on Armin's back in a comforting 'it will be okay' gesture. Armin looked over his shoulder at his friend who was attempting to comfort him, whose eyes were red and tired. Same as him, he obviously had not slept at all the night before. 

Thanks Jean. But no. It most definitely will not be okay. 

\- 

A few hours later they were standing in front of Armin's parent's graves, a simple plot in the middle of a large cemetery that stretched out in every directions, surrounded by tall trees and a wrought iron gate. 

"Do you think they'll know to bury me here?" Armin murmured? "If they..." 

The rest of the sentence had no doubt been 'find our bodies', but Armin didn't have the courage to finish it. 

Jean didn't say anything. He knew Armin wasn't looking for an answer, not like Jean would have had one to give him anyway. He was in his own state of disarray, but he had always felt like it had been his job to watch out for Armin, even though the blonde was fully capable of taking care of himself. It was in times like this, Jean felt like he had to be strong. If he wasn't strong, they would both fall apart. 

Armin's hand clenched and unclenched around the bouquet of daisies in his hand, as he looked down at the grave. It was a simple slab of white marble, into it the last name "Arlert" was carved. He generally said a few words, telling his parents how much he missed them and how he would be back to see them soon. 

"I'm sorry, mom and dad." He began. "I know if you were alive, I wouldn't be the type of son you were proud of. I've done some bad things. And now, we're involved with some bad people. I may be coming to join you soon. Please don't be disappointed in me. I love you both." 

He finished up his few words and stood in silence for a moment, then leaned forward, gently laying the bouquet of daisies down on the grave. 

Jean didn't say anything, just stood beside him silently, pulling his sweatshirt around him tighter. October was coming to an end, and the cool weather seemed to be coming on quicker than he expected. 

Lets go, Jean." Armin whispered quietly after a bit, and the two slowly made their way out of the graveyard, Armin throwing one last look over his shoulder at the lonely grave, the bouquet laid softly on top of it. 

\- 

The next two days in Pyre were far from the relaxing vacation they had planned it to be. It was filled with errands and unusual tasks that the two never thought they would have to do in their entire lives. 

They spent a few good hours at a gun shop, the cashier helping them pick out a handgun, which they knew nothing about. Handguns were illegal in Stayton, however, if you were looking for anything illegal, immoral or unethical, Pyre was the place to go. They left with a Glock tucked into the back of Jean's pants that he hoped to god he would never have to use, since he had only fired a weapon a few times in his life at a shooting range. 

The rest of Tuesday and the majority of Wednesday was spent in a large, sweaty martial arts studio, learning basic self defense tactics. Jean was tall, strong and muscled from his fireman work, and could hold his own in any sort of hand to hand fight. Armin was petite, with not much muscle mass on him, since he spent his days teaching and reading. 

They spent hours practicing basic blocks, escapes, hits, and throws, as if one may possibly save their lives if cornered by a deadly assassin. 

Ha, ha. Yeah, right. But they had to try for something.

It was nearly 8:00 when they finished up on Wednesday night and went back to their hotel room. Their train back to Stayton, and back to their real lives, left in 12 hours, but they had at least a few hours to dip into the seedy night life of Pyre. 

They both showered, slipping into street clothes of similar style: Armin changing into some light jeans and a button up black shirt, paired with converse. He twisted his damp flaxen locks up into a top knot, his fastidiously trimmed fringe falling perfectly above his ice blue eyes. Jean slid into some ripped jeans and a maroon button up, his thick sandy hair ruffled from a quick towel dry. 

"Where do you want to go? He asked as he yanked on his tennis shoes, looking Armin over. 

The blonde shrugged, adjusting his top knot minutely with his fingers. "Somewhere we can Uber to. Because if it's one of the last nights of our lives, I'm going to get too smashed to walk back here." 

\-- 

Erwin sat across from Hange, his most reliable informant, and a good friend. They had been friends for many years, and when he had told her about the Suits, she was more than excited to be a part, gathering information and keeping the Suits up to date on important intel. Reliable and informed, she was invaluable, even though she worked in the background and was never seen. 

The brunette had her usual wide, quirky smile across her face and looked dashing in a long, yellow dress. She was pinching a cocktail glass between her fingers as she sat with her legs pulled underneath her and her shoes kicked off on the floor, resting comfortably on the plush blue couch next to Erwin. They had met in a bar in one of Pyre's most expensive casinos, the casino and bar interior decorated with onyx glass and blue lighting. They sat in the VIP section, a small staircase taking them up to the elevated area that overlooked the rest of the bar: a long bar with barstools, and a large dance floor that stretched out between the bar and the tables and booths surrounding the room. 

Erwin hated Pyre. As far as he knew, the only person in the whole entire world who liked it was Hange. It was seedy expanse of casinos, bars, hotels, and the like. A far cry from Stayton, which was much bigger with shops, parks, and respectable businesses. But Hange liked it because she said it was the best city in 2,000 miles to people watch. 

It did hold a bit of a special place in Erwin's heart, since it was where they had picked up Eren so many years ago. The thin, lanky 13 year old brunette at a run-down casino, living in a cheap hotel room and counting cards to scrape together enough money to live. 

He dreaded to think about what would have happened to him if they hadn't come along. Presumably someone else would have picked him up, and that's not even something he wanted to think about. Not like the Suits was a respectable life for him. For any of them, really. But still, it was better then Pyre. Anything was better than here. 

"Thinking about Eren?" Hange poked him with a smile, as she took a sip of the cocktail in her hand. "You always think about him when you're here. I think you're getting more sentimental in your old age." 

Erwin shrugged, a small smile on his lips. "Yeah, I guess I do. It's just strange to think about those things in life, you know, being in the right place at the right time. Finding him here when we did, and why did he come with us? I'm glad though. Who knows what would have happened to him..." Erwin's voice trailed off. 

Hange hummed. "Yeah. Remember how skinny he was when you found him?" 

"Yeah." Erwin huffed. "He's definitely plumped up since then. He's grown now. You'd love him. When was the last time you saw him?" 

Hange scrunched her nose, trying to remember. "Hmm, few months ago? Maybe a year? He was down here on a job I think." 

"Right. And Levi..."

"What about Levi?" 

"Oh, Eren was gone a few days for that one and Levi got all uptight about it. We got in a big fight. I think that's when everything started, really." 

"What's going on?" Hange asked, leaning forward in her seat. 

"Well you know. You know the whole story, better than I do, probably. Levi opens up to you more than he does me." Erwin sighed. "But I know he feels guilty for not accepting Eren and feels like he changed him. It's that basic guilt that drives self depravation." 

Hange nodded. "Yes. We've talked about it before." 

Erwin sighed, nodding. "Eren doesn't feel any animosity toward Levi. He changed because he wanted to make Levi proud. Now he'll step forward, trying to be with Levi, and Levi will step away. Due to the guilt, due to what Eren's become." 

Hange put her hand on her forehead. "That doesn't really make any sense, you know." 

"I know. But...Levi raised Eren. And Eren loved him for so long, and he loved him back. He just feels like he should have taken his love when he had the chance. After all of this, Eren shouldn't love him anymore." 

Hange sat back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling. "He's going to lose him. He knows that, right? This can't go on forever. Eren won't forever be able to live with the feeling he's not good enough. It will crush him." 

Erwin pursed him lips, nodding. "I know." 

Hange shrugged. "Levi always was a slow learner. Maybe that's just what he needs." She sighed. "How's Marco? I saw his big show in Italy. That was....something." 

"Yep." Erwin replied, drawing out the 'p' sound in the word 'yep'. "Trigger happy asshole, as usual." 

Hange smiled. "As usual. But still, gotta love him, that cute little freckled face. He is the most un-assassin assassin in the world. He could be standing over a dead body with an axe and convince someone that he didn't do it, with a face like that." 

"Yeah." Erwin breathed. "Terrifying, isn't it?" 

Hange snorted. "Well, anyway. I'm sure you didn't drag yourself all the way out to this city you hate to shoot the breeze. What did you come here to see me for?" 

"What can you tell me about Starwood Pharmaceuticals?" 

"Hmm." Hange mused. "Not much I'm afraid. "They're a global company. Their arm is long. Don't get on their bad side, for sure. They manufacture drugs, solutions, chemicals, and more stuff that's hush hush. There is a lot of talk about...like, experimental drugs. They're headquartered in Stayton, but have little outbuildings all over the world." 

"Experimental drugs?" 

"Oh you know. Sci-fi stuff. Super soldiers, growing back limbs, not feeling pain, weird stuff like that." 

"Right." Erwin said, rolling his eyes. 

"Yeah. They're just rumors, anyway." Hange said. 

"Levi killed the CEO and CFO. Why wasn't it reported on?" 

"Hmm. Well all of Starwood is run by an outside source. No one knows exactly who. There are outlandish theories, The Mexican Cartel, Al Qaeda, Oil Tycoons in Saudi Arabia. Who knows. All we know is that they're powerful, influential, and a large enough group to run this global company as a tight ship." 

Erwin chewed on his bottom lip. This was leaving him with more questions then answers. "So who do you think ordered the hit?" 

"Could have been anyone. Starwood is bad news. Or, could have been an insider, wanting to get two of the biggest players out of power so they could get in. No idea. I can look into it for you. All I can say is that whoever is in charge of Starwood could potentially, well, not to be dramatic, but could really change the world. Expecially if they are making experimental drugs like are rumored. They have a lot of resources, and a lot of power." 

Erwin nodded, mulling it over. "Well what--" His thought was cut short when his eye wandered over to the bar just in time to see a petite blonde slip off the side of his barstool, spilling his drink all over his friend next to him. The tall man next to him jumped up, laughing hysterically, trying to drunkenly wipe the liquid off his shirt with his hands. When it was evident that the liquid had seeped into his clothes, he shrugged, then reached down, hauling his friend off the floor up to a standing positon. There was a short exchange, then the taller one swaggered off in the direction of the restrooms. 

The smaller blonde stood near the bar for a bit looking a little confused, as if he was trying to remember what he was trying to do. Then, he got a look of remembrance on his face, and made his way then made his way over the sleek modern jukebox built into the far wall. He was leaned forward, his head resting on the glass as he poked the buttons, scrolling through the songs. He finally landed on the classic song "Hotel California" by the Eagles, swaying to the hypnotic beat as he made his way onto the dance floor. 

The blonde turned his direction, and Erwin looked him over. Slender, very petite, with soft blonde hair tied up in a bun, and perfectly styled fringe across is forehead that would make Levi proud. Light blonde whips had fallen from his bun and curled around his soft chin and ears. He appeared to be at least 15 years younger than himself, Erwin had just turned 41, and he would pin the blonde to be mid-to late 20s. 

The petite blonde swayed along with the other people on the dance floor for a moment, then he looked up, his eyes catching Erwin's from across the room. A broad smile crossed the smaller man's lips. 

He advanced across the dance floor, making his way boldly up the stairs to the VIP section to where Erwin sat, the younger blonde's ice blue stare fixated in the well dressed older man's cobalt blue gaze. 

"Yes?" Erwin asked, a slight smirk in his voice, as he looked at the absolutely adorable, absolutely drunk man who he was suprised had made it all the way across the room and up the stairs without falling. 

Without responding, Armin moved to Erwin, climbing on top of his lap. He straddled his muscular thighs, one of each of this thin legs resting on the blue couch on either side of Erwin as he pressed the larger man's back against the couch. A mischievous, drunken smile was painted on his lips as he pressed his body into the stranger's. Hange sat close by, scooching over a bit to give Armin room, her mouth half open, an enormous, disbelieving grin on her lips. 

"I saw you see me when I was o'r dere at the juicebox." Armin said, drunkenly, pointing behind him at the jukebox on the wall. 

"Juicebox?" Erwin chuckled, and Armin nodded. 

"Tie," He murmured drunkenly, reaching for the expensive, cream colored tie around Erwin's neck. The larger man instinctively put up his forearm to block the assult on his neck, but Armin wrapped him petite hand around Erwin's large digits, running his soft hands over Erwin's fingers, across his palm, then down his wrist in a motion that Erwin found much more sexy than he should have, a shiver going through his whole body. 

"Your hands...feel nice." Armin cooed, running his fingers in and out of Erwin's as he felt the lines of his fingers and palm, staring at them intently. Erwin wondered if he was seeing double or triple by this time. From the way his small thighs were gripping around his hips, he was struggling to not fall over.

Erwin lowered his hand, allowing Armin to work at undoing his fancy eldridge knotted tie. It took him awhile, small frustrated grunts coming from the smaller blonde's mouth as his brows furrowed and he concentrated on untying the knot. He eventually got the tie free, slipping it free from Erwin's collar and throwing it over his own shoulders, a stark contrast to the black button down he was wearing and obviously much more expensive than anything he had ever owned. 

"There." Armin said, as he unbuttoned the top button on Erwin's shirt, showing defined chest muscle from years of hard workouts as well as a naturally tall, thick body. He reached forward, taking Erwin's large hands, which were resting by his sides awkwardly. He put them on his small butt, then moved their bodies closer together and rocking his hips into Erwin, grinding into his waist. Erwin let out a small gasp. What the fuck was happening. 

The small blonde was mouthing the words to the song on the jukebox while he rocked his hips into the older man, his fingers running across Erwin's exposed collar bone, then playing with the small clear buttons on his navy button-down shirt. 

Mirrors on the ceiling/the pink champagne on ice 

And she said, 'we are all just prisoners here, of our own device 

And in the master's chambers/they gathered for the feast 

The rest of the verse turned into a slur of syllables as he clearly mixed it up with another part of the song. 

'This kid.' Erwin thought to himself. 'So adorable. And so, SO drunk.' 

"Hey. You." Erwin said, the smaller man's eyes jerking up from were they were focusing on his buttons. "What's your name?" 

"Armin." The man slurred. "'S Yours?" 

"Erwin." The man said, with a smile. 

"Erwin. Errrrwin." Armin repeated it a few times. "Will you squeeze my..." He reached back to where Erwin was resting his hands on his legs, grabbing the man's large hand with his own, showing him he wanted him to squeeze his butt. 

Erwin considered resisting. Then he remembered. The younger man had blatantly come onto him. He wanted this. He may be drunk now. But, fuck it. At this rate, the kid would not even remember it in the morning. 

He reached up, taking one of Armin's small cheeks in each of his hands, he squeezed hard with both hands, Armin letting out a sharp gasp, then a wanton moan, his back arching and hips slamming into Erwin's. The larger man dug his teeth into his bottom lip. Fuck. Keep it together. He felt his erection swelling in his pants as the younger man moaned and rocked into him, and as his hands grasped the small, pert globes of the younger blonde's ass, a shiver went up his spine as he wondered what they felt like not covered in the rough denim he was wearing. 

Erwin growled, working on pushing the thought from his mind, as Armin's fingers worked to undo Erwin's navy blue shirt button by button. 

"'I like 'dis shirt." Armin slurred. "It looks 'rly good on you. I bet...it'd look e'n better on me. I could wear it. After you f'sh fucking me until I cry." 

With that, Armin finished unbuttoning the larger man's shirt, and yanked Erwin toward him, slamming their lips together, running his small hands down the man's large bare chest. 

There was a soft 'mm' that left Erwin's lips from the touch, causing him to squeeze Armin's butt tighter, and the smaller man to dig his teeth into the larger man's lip, Erwin tasting the sweet tang of orange and vodka on the younger man's tongue. 

They pulled out of the kiss and Armin looked up at the older man very drunkenly. "Yuur s' sexy. Take me home t'night. I w't you to--" 

A hand was slapped over his mouth, muffling the would-be declarations of all the things Armin wanted Erwin to do to him. Jean was behind him, a mix of horror and terror on his face, as he looked from Armin to the half-shirtless Erwin. He felt like he should blame Erwin for some reason, but that didn't seem fair, as it had most obviously been Armin's fault, seeing how drunk and horny he was. 

"I'm so sorry." Jean said, his hand still over Armin's mouth. "He's a lightweight. He never drinks. I'm so sorry." Jean repeated, apologizing profusely. 

"Its alright." Erwin said with a smile, Jean yanking Armin's hands off of the larger man, and Erwin working to button up his shirt, immediately missing the small warm hands on his skin. 

The man's cream colored tie fell from Armin's shoulders to the floor, so Armin shifted on the man's lap, creating friction in the perfect place, Erwin having to stifle a groan. He sat back up, and draped the tie around the elder man's neck. 

"Here you go, Erwin." Armin murmered. "Keep dis. So you can...tie me up with it, mmk?" He said, holding the ends of the tie, he pulled Erwin into him one last time, slamming their lips together in one final kiss. It was longer and deliberate, Erwin snaking his hand up into Armin's soft hair. If it was going to be the last one, he wanted to make it good. 

Jean's arms were around Armin's waist, pulling him off of the man, breaking the kiss, the tie slipping through Armin's hands and resting on Erwin's shoulders. 

"So sorry." Jean apologized again as he picked Armin up in a fireman carry, throwing him over his shoulder. Armin saw Erwin from his upside down position on Jean's back and waved goodbye drunkenly. 

Hange was still sitting beside Erwin, a shit-eating grin on her face as she put her cocktail to her lips and slurped it loudly. 

"Yes, something to say?" He said, as he adjusted his wrinkled shirt. He left the tie draped around his neck exactly as Armin left it, running is finger over the small, sweaty part that had been clenched in Armin's fist. 

"No sir. Nothing at all." She said, a smile on her face. "I've just never seen you cozy up with someone like that before." 

"Just a drunk kid. He would have hopped on anyone's lap." He said, looking at the door the two had exited through, half hoping they would come back. 

Hange looked around at the dozens of other couples in the bar. "Nah. I think he liked you." She said with a wink. "You were planning on taking him up on that offer, weren't you?" 

"What offer." 

"You wanted to take him home. If his friend hadn't have come and towed him away, I would be sitting here alone right now." She grinned. 

"You're imagining things." He huffed. 

She was right, of course. He thought it over. He wondered what that soft, pale skin looked like. What his arms, and legs, stomach, ass, and cock all looked like. If they were soft and smooth and sweet, like his hands and lips had been. 

He'd love to see that pretty blonde hair out of it's bun and spread out across his pillows. He wanted those thin legs wrapped around his bare hips, and those pretty pink lips screaming out his name until his voice was hoarse. 

The younger man had made him quite riled up. He carefully adjusted himself on the couch, trying to get comfortable. He would love to return the favor. He would love to stuff him full of his thick fingers, and milk his prostate, making him cum over and over. He'd love to tease the little minx until he cried, and then fill him full of his enormous cock all night long until he was so sated he could only lay on his chest and run those tiny hands over his chest again. 

Now the thought of him waking up to the little blonde wrapped up in the shirt he was wearing seemed so tantalizing, he was a bit angry at himself for letting him slip away. 

"I can see it on your face even now, Erwin Smith." Hange teased. 

"Nope. Never." Erwin said, standing from his seat on the couch and straightening out his outfit. 

"Leaving so soon? Was it something I said?" She joked. 

"I'm taking the train back to Stayton tonight." He said, still running the tie over his shoulders through his fingers gently. 

Hange stood from her seat. "Well, it was good to see you. So sad you didn't get to take that cute little muffin home. Better luck next time." 

"Hm. Yeah." Erwin hummed disappointingly. 

"You never know. It's a small world. You may run into each other again. Especially if it's..." Hange walked her fingers up Erwin's arm, "Fate." 

Erwin rolled his eyes as he moved toward the exit, Hange following him. "See you around, Hange." 

"See you." 

\-- 

Armin was especially sick and hungover the whole trip home the next day, and had strange, unexplained purple handprints on his upper thighs. He vaughly remembered doing something embarrassing the night before but couldn't put his finger on it, and wasn't sure he wanted to ask Jean because it obviously would have been embarrassing for him too. When he finally worked up the courage to ask, Armin sat in stunned silence while Jean relayed the whole story. 

"Oh. My. God." Armin whispered, his face turning dark red and his hands rushing to cover his face. "Just, kill me." 

Jean snorted. "Nah. Its Pyre. That's a usual occurance. I'm sure you won't see him again, anyway." 

A few hours later they were in front of their large super computer, Armin in the chair, an ice pack on his forehead, Jean in a chair from the kitchen pulled up next to him. 

"Once we run the hack, Jean, they may be able to burrow into our system and find out about us too. I did my best to firewall it, but the deeper we go into their system, the more vulnerable we will be." He said, showing Jean the firewall protecting the Suits' operating system on the screen, which was a huge, rotating mess of 1s and 0s. 

Jean nodded. "Well, this is the only choice we have." 

Armin nodded. His finger hovered over the keyboard for just a moment, then he pressed enter, executing the hack. 

\-- 

"Erwin Smith." Erwin answered the phone. 

"Erwin, it's Mikasa. Are you back from Pyre?" 

"Yes, I returned late last night." 

"I need you to come to Scouts immediately. And can you call Levi, too? Everyone needs to be here." 

"Yes, I'll be right in and call Levi on the way. Is there a problem?" 

"Yes. Our system is being hacked." 

\-- 

Less than an hour later, the Suits arrived at the Scouts bar, which was closed for the day. They entered up the back staircase, to where Mikasa lived and ran their operations, finding their jobs for them and doing basic intel and paperwork. She showed them into her small second bedroom which doubled as her office. On the screen of the large computer was a series of scrolling numbers, which didn't particularly mean anything to anyone. 

"What does it mean?" Levi asked. 

"That they're going to get in past our firewall and know everything. About you, about the jobs, the clients, everything." 

"Can't you stop it? You're a programmer, Mikasa." Erwin said smoothly. "Many people have tried to hack our operating system in the past. You built it. Its supposed to be invulnerable." 

"There's...the virus they made, its unlike anything I've ever seen. Its crashing into the walls and running over and around it, finding any gaps in the code and worming its way through. It's impossible to stop. It's only a matter of time. I can transfer some of the documents but there's no way I can take out all of them." 

"Isn't there something you can do? You can't stop it?" Eren asked, his fists clenching. 

"No. I'm sorry." 

"Well is there a way to like, ruin their computer while they're hacking or something?" Marco asked. 

Mikasa turned toward the computer and began typing. 

"I--I can try to dig into their system, but it will take awhile. But strangely, the microphone on their computer isn't protected. I guess I can get us into that..." Mikasa typed furiously, just the clacking of the keyboard heard around the room, everyone waiting with baited breath. 

Suddenly, two other voices were heard over the computer speakers. 

"-to the kitchen. Do you want some toaster strudels? This is going to take a while." 

"Yeah. but don't put the nasty frosting on them from the packet. Use the cake frosting from the cabinet." 

"Yeah, yeah." 

Footsteps receded and there was silence. A few moments later the conversation started again. 

"This virus is amazing. You crafted it really well. How did you do it?" 

"Well you have to think about what you want it to do. Then make it. Code can do anything. You just have to know how to program it." 

"That's so cool. How did you learn all that?" 

"Online. That's also how I found our cool name 'The Shadow Brokers.' It was one of those stupid quizzes what should your hacker name be." 

Across the room, the Suits made eye contact. They had heard of the hacker group before, now they knew who was trying to retrieve their information. 

"What time is it?" 

There was a short pause, followed by "7:14." 

"What time is the drop off tomorrow?" 

"Uh...the masquerade starts at 9:00pm. We'll just meet there. He said to wear a white mask with feathers on the right side." 

Eren looked across the room at Erwin, mouthing the words 'masquerade', and Erwin nodded knowingly. 

"Ok. We'll have it done by then." 

The declaration was followed by silence. 

"Its perfect." Marco said. "Its totally fine. It doesn't matter if they get the information. We'll find them at this so called masquerade and end them before they can give it to anyone." 

The Suits looked at each other, gauging each other's reactions. 

Levi shrugged. "I don't know. I think it's a solid idea." 

"Who is going?" Eren asked. 

"Myself," Erwin said, "I'll be able to get us in." 

"And me. Because Levi's hurt." Marco declared. 

Eren frowned, and Marco reached over and ruffled his hair. 

"Don't worry about it. We just don't really know who we're dealing with. It's no big deal. Just sit this one out, take care of Levi." He said, motioning to Levi, who was standing leaning against the wall, being careful not to put any pressure on his injured side. 

Erwin sighed, pulling out his phone and scrolling through it. "So I guess its this one then?" He said, holding up a screenshot of a fancy masquerade ball invitation. 

"Yeah. Sounds right." Mikasa said, looking it over. 

"Well then," Marco said, pulling out the gun in the back of his pants and checking the slide, "I guess I'd better wash the blood of my gun and find a suit, right? We're going to a ball." 


	6. Everyone Has A Mask Even If We Wear It Differently

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello my loves! Thank you so much for reading! I will try to update as much as possible, however I had to get a second job so now I am working 7 days a week so I dont have my weekends anymore. :( My goal is still once a week but your patience is appreciated. I love updating as much as you enjoy reading!!
> 
> Thank you so much for your likes and comments, I love all your feedback and am so happy you're enjoying the story!!

10 YEARS AGO

"What? You remembered my birthday??!"

"Seriously, brat? You've only been mentioning it every day for the last four months."

"And you got me a present?" 

The four men were meeting in one of the sitting rooms in Erwin's enormous estate, gathered around a comfortable roaring fire while a spring storm raged against the windows outside. Levi sat in a cozy leather chair, Marco in a hard-backed wooden chair a cigar between his fingers, and Eren sat cross-legged on the ground inches away from the blazing fire, wrapped up in a blanket.

"Did you think we wouldn't get you a gift?" Erwin asked with a smile as he entered the room, producing from behind him a large, oddly shaped item wrapped awkwardly in blue and silver striped wrapping paper. Walking across the room, he handed it to the small, moppy haired boy who was excitedly wiggling where he sat in front of he fireplace. 

Eren smiled, excitedly looking the wrapped gift over curiously. "Heh, it looks like a giant dick." 

"It does not." Levi scolded. "Don't talk like that." 

"Yeah, haven't you ever seen a dick before?" Marco asked sarcastically. 

Levi glared at him, then back at Eren. 

The boy bunched his eyebrows together. "Why can't I talk like that? You say stuff like that all the time." 

"Well...do as I say, not as I do." He recited the age old parenting line.

"Yeah, and Marco talks like that, too." He said, pointing across the room to the younger, curly haired man straddling the back of the intricately carved mahogany chair, blowing a smoke ring up to the ceiling. Marco just shrugged at the accusation. 

"Hey, well, don't compare yourself to me or Marco. Talk proper like the attractive boy you are." 

Eren blushed a bit at the compliment, and Levi wondered if there was going to be some sort of snarky response, but the boy was too interested in his gift. "Can I open this now?" 

"What do you say." 

"Can I open this, PLEASE?" 

"It's 'may I'. And yes, brat. go ahead." 

Erwin let out a short laugh at Levi's correcting of Eren's grammar. Ever since they had found him eight months prior, Levi had been everything to Eren. Parent, teacher, friend, his greatest ally. He had moved into the spare office at Levi house immediately, despite the dozens of spare rooms at Erwin's large estate. It was more than obvious that Eren had had a crush on the elder man, but they assumed it would pass in time. They were so entirely different. Eren, the cuddly, short-tempered, young man who begged to be loved and Levi, the spiny, unlovable clean freak. 

At Levi's go ahead he madly tore into the wrapping paper, yanking it away to reveal the item inside.

It was a beautiful guitar, made from hand-carved African blackwood. It was quite a bit "extra" for a first guitar, and must have been very expensive, but when it came to gifts, everything Erwin did was a little "extra." Eren ran his small hand down the back of the neck of the guitar, where it read "Happy 14th Birthday, Brat. From: Levi, Erwin, and Marco." 

Eren hugged it to his chest as he looked at it. "I love it!" He yelled out. "It's the best present I ever received." 

"Good." Levi said, crossing his arms. "It's so you keep your little bratty paws off all the dangerous things in the house like guns and knives." 

"Yes. From now on you need to do productive things with your hands. No more gambling or counting cards or anything like that." Erwin added. 

"Okay." Eren said, absentmindedly, as he stroked his finger over the polished wood, reading the inscription over and over with a stupid smile on his face. 

" Okay. Good." Levi smirked, leaning back in his seat. 

"Will you teach me?" The brunette asked, putting the guitar over his knee and giving the strings a strum. 

"Me?" Levi asked, noticing Eren's eyes on him. "I don't know how to play the guitar, brat. Use YouTube." 

"You don't know any songs?" 

Levi sighed, pausing. "Well, actually, I do know one song. It's the easiest song in the world, that's why I know it. It's like three chords. I'll teach you this one, but after this you have to teach yourself, k?"

Eren nodded excitedly, moving over to Levi and sitting on his lap, guitar over both of their legs. 

"Oy. What are you doing." He asked, as Eren adjusted himself in his lap. 

"Getting ready for you to teach me this song." Eren said, in an obvious tone. 

"Careful." Marco called, a smirk on his lips. "Your age gap is showing." 

Levi just gave Marco the middle finger as he took Eren from his lap and spread his legs, setting him on the chair in between his thighs. "There. I couldn't reach." He said, reaching around Eren and putting his hands on the guitar. It was true. Eren was young. So, so young. But he still did love the dorky, young kid and his warmth, his voice, and everything about him. 

"What's the song called?" Eren wiggled in closer to Levi, as the elder man attached a small tuner to the top of the guitar, tuning it, before motioning to a small case of picks, and Eren reading his cue, reaching over and handing him one. 

"It's called 'Wonderwall'." he responded, before hugging Eren to his chest and beginning to strum the simple tune. 

\--

PRESENT 

Levi awoke. He felt like he had been having a dream, a good dream, but he couldn't remember what it was about. 

What time was it? It was dark outside, and looking at his watch, he realized it was half past eight. Erwin and Marco were already well on their way to the masquerade. He had no doubt they would mop the floor with the Shadow Brokers, and their issues concerning them would be over. He just hoped Marco didn't make too much of a scene. He always did, though, so he wasn't sure what exactly he was expecting. 

The ravenette looked around his apartment, it was mostly darkened, except for the light in the kitchen. He didn't recall leaving it on, since it had been daytime when he had sat down with his book and tea, which was long cold and overbrewed. He couldn't believe he had fallen asleep. The pain meds they had given him for his stab wound were making him feel tired constantly. Sleeping in the middle of the day was something that he hated, it made him feel lazy and old. 

Getting up from the cozy couch, Levi shook his head free of the cobwebs. He showered and changed into skinny jeans and a simple black sweater. Making his way out of the apartment building, he wandered down the street with no particular destination in mind. There was still a slight limp in his step, but the wound in his side was more of an irritation than an actual pain. He felt like a lame duck, which was an uncomfortable, uneasy feeling.

Where was Eren? He wasn't at the apartment, and he wasn't going to the masquerade. Perhaps he was at his new gig on 3rd street? 

What was it like to watch Eren perform? A dream, no doubt. He was amazing. So enchanting, he must capture the audience. They'd all be in love with him. And why wouldn't they be? He could make anyone fall in love with him- a man on the street, a socialite, a queen. Even someone as impossible as himself. 

Levi kicked a rock as he walked. It was true. He had never loved anyone in the world except for Eren. He had never loved anyone before, and wasn't sure he would ever love anyone after. Eren was the only one for him, the only one he'd ever love. And he hated himself for what they had become. 

After a few moments of deliberation, Levi called an Uber and rode across town to where the small café on 3rd street was. He stood outside for a bit, wondering why he had gone there and if he should go in. He waited outside for what seemed like a suspicious amount of time, running the options through in his head. Other couples came and went, passing him by as the entered the shop, laughing and chatting, paying him no mind. 

The ravenette finally decided to go inside out of the cold night air. He entered the café, immediately greeted by a cozy warmth and the familiar scent of roasting coffee beans. The coffee shop was larger than he expected it to be, with a long wooden counter far in the back to order at, and a few round tables out in the center of the room. There was a small spiral staircase that went up to a second story balcony with more tables, all which overlooked the small stage, where Eren was alone with his familiar black guitar. That same, stupid scratched up guitar from 10 years ago. They had tried so many times to get him a new one, but he would never part with the first guitar they had bought him all those years ago. 

The singer was wearing torn jeans, flat vans, and a simple band shirt, his shaggy brown hair pulled up in a half ponytail. Even in his simplicity, he was stunning. He was playing a familiar acoustic song Levi had heard him play before, while perched atop a high stool, one leg resting on the ground, the other bent and resting on the leg of the stool.

The smaller man went to the counter and ordered tea to go, blending in the back of the crowded room of enthralled people, staring at the enchanting younger man. Eren's soft song finished and the audience cheered, begging for more. The brunette smiled, and thanking the audience, he stood from his stool and took off his guitar as if he was going to take a break. His large, teal eyes scanned the room one last time taking in the crowd, and zeroed in on Levi. 

Eren beamed, but didn't say anything. Instead, he put his guitar back over his shoulders, the audience cheering at the encore as he began the slow, familiar strumming pattern. 

Hearing it brought back so many memories. Of him teaching Eren guitar. Of that young, skinny, moppy haired brat playing that same goddamn song over and over and over, trying to perfect his chord structure and strumming pattern. Of Marco threatening to burn their apartment to the ground if Eren played it one more time. (Probably what inspired him to start learning new songs). It had been so long since he had heard it. 

Eren gazed at him as he sang through the first chorous in a beautiful acoustic form. 

Today is gonna be the day that they gonna throw it back to you  
By now, you should have somehow realized what you gotta do  
I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now

Without missing a beat, he continued singing as he approached the edge of the stage and hopped down. The small crowd screamed, reaching out for his clothes like he was a celebrity as he entered the crowd, but he continued his song and careful, methodical picking, as he waded through the people, one singular destination in mind. 

Levi was unable to tear his gaze away from Eren's captivating stare as the brunette moved toward him, those swimming teal eyes locked on his own. The tall musician was soon all the way across the room to where Levi was hiding in the back corner. Every step Eren took forward Levi took back, until Levi found himself pressed up against the back wall, Eren just a few feet away from him, strumming his guitar, singing to him.

I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now  
And all the roads we have to walk are winding  
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding  
There are many thing I'd like to say to you but don't know how  
And maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me.  
And after all, you're my wonderwall 

Eren stopped his strumming for an instant, reaching forward, he grabbed Levi by the front of the sweater and yanked him forward. Their lips slammed together violently in a short kiss, Levi's ribs banging into Eren's guitar with a painful 'clonk'. Levi's mouth was mostly open in surprise, and Eren took advantage, sucking on the elder man's bottom lip before pulling away with a short nibble. The crowd whooped at the sudden show of affection.

"You came for me. I hoped you would. I looked for you every night." Eren whispered, leaning down, his sweat-slicked forehead pressed against Levi's, a smile lighting up his whole face. He stared into Levi's silver eyes, inches away from him, and Levi was trapped in that gaze. That sensuous, perfect gaze that raised hairs on his arms and made him melt. Eren finally leaned forward and gave him one last quick, chaste kiss on the lips, and with that he turned, making his way back through the crowd, continuing his song as he made his way back up to the stage. 

Levi ran his finger across his lips. Eren had kissed him. Here, in front of all these people. His heart was pounding out of his chest as he tried to control his emotions. Eren wanted him. 

Eren. His Eren. God, all he wanted in the world was Eren. He loved Eren more than life itself. 

But he didn't deserve him. Or rather, Eren deserved someone better. Stronger. Someone to cherish him, appreciate him. Who wouldn't ruin him like he had. Out of all these people, there had to be someone that could love Eren more, give him something more than he could. He was no one. An assassin, with no education, no family, no money. He had ruined Eren, and he wasn't going to drag him down any further. Eren didn't love him, he just thought he did. It was more like imprinting then it was love. One day Eren would find someone he actually loved, and realize how much he actually hated Levi for all the things he had put him through.

By the time the song was over, Levi was gone. 

\--

Armin stood solemnly next to Jean at the entrance of the large theatre. The small blonde was dressed in a navy colored suit with a white shirt and silver tie. He wore a silk white half-mask which covered from his forehead to his cheekbones, his piercing blue eyes a stark contrast to the white. Stunning snow-colored feathers extended off the right side of the mask in a gaudy fan shape. 

Jean was dressed in a grey suit with a navy shirt and white tie, wearing an identical white mask, green eyes narrowed into slits as they surveyed the foyer slowly filling up around them. 

So much had happened to them in the last few days. Getting threatened by Starwood Pharmaceuticals. The trip to Pyre. The hack. Armin's amazing worm, that had worked its way into the Suit's operating system with ease, giving them access to thousands of pages worth of documents. 

They had learned everything about the famed, previously mysterious assassin group. Their identities, abilities, previous targets. It was strange, something that had been so previously shrouded in mystery to suddenly be completely revealed to them. They had all the information they needed for Starwood to eradicate the Suits. After all, without their secret identities, they were more or less just regular people. 

"Well..." Armin murmured, taking the small jump drive out of his pocket and rolling it between his fingers, "At least we'll be well dressed when they bury us."

Jean nodded, an awkward "heh" coming out of his mouth as he watched Armin tuck the disk back into his pocket. "Guess so." He adjusted the glock that he had shoved down the front of his pants, hoping that it didn't look too obvious, but it probably looked like he was sporting an enormous, impossibly hard erection.

"Armin, if we die tonight..." Jean started, "I just wanted you to know you're the best friend I ever had."

"You too Jean. And so you know, this is the right thing to do."

Jean nodded. "I know. But I'm still not ready to die." 

Armin reached out, grabbing his hand for one fleeting second, squeezing it. "At least we'll die together doing what's right for once. We've done some bad things. We've not always been the good guys. Maybe this is our turn to be the good guys, even if no one ever knows."

There was silence between the two for a moment, before Jean murmured, "It's getting kind of crowded in here. Guess we should split up," while adjusting his mask.

"Good luck, Jean." Armin said, resting his arm on his partner's forearm for a minute. 

"Yeah. good luck to you too." He responded, before the blonde slipped off into the crowd of socialites greeting each other animatedly and drinking. 

Jean moved to the edge of the crowd, leaning up against a white pillar, his eyes scanning the crowd. Everyone was wearing a mask, no one seemed particularly interested in him yet. There would be someone coming for them, looking for a man in a white mask. Probably more than one someone. 

He hoped he could draw some of the men away from Armin. He was more noticeable by far. Taller, flashier, and stood out more in a crowd. It he could get rid of one or two of the bodyguards or something like that, Armin could deliver the disk they brought and get away. That was the plan at least. It would most likely fall through, they knew that. But they had to try. 

His eyes scanned the crowd again. Suddenly, on the outskirts of the crowd on the opposite side, someone's gaze was fixed on him. The man was leaning against the pillar directly opposite of his, the entire long dance floor stretching in between them, now full of people visiting with champagne glasses in hand. The world was frozen as the two's eyes met. The man was wearing an expensive black and white suit and a simple black mask, showing dark russet eyes and a mop of chocolate curls. Jean's body froze. Even with the mask, he recognized the man from the data they had sorted through just hours previously. The tousled curls, the dark eyes and soft, olive skin. The King of Clubs. The man's lips grew into a hungry smile as he saw Jean recognize him. 

This is a new development. One that they were not planning on. Jean was terrified. He swallowed deeply, feeling for the gun in his pants, not exactly sure what he was going to do with it. It's not like he could fire a weapon into a crowded room of people. He turned, and slipped away from the main room and down a long hallway. He would continue the plan to draw enemies away from Armin. To keep him safe. That had been the plan from the beginning.

He hurried down a long, decorated corridor in the enormous theatre. The theatre had a high, domed ceiling and was constructed to look like an old fashioned opera house. He looked behind him down the hallway. It was completely empty, but there was no way he was safe. He could feel it. The feeling of dread. He was being hunted.

He turned down another long corridor, then took three flights of plush carpeted stairs up, and found himself emerging at the balcony level, high above the party. He seemed far over on the left side of the balcony, the whole seating area connected in a large "u" shape as is usual in theatres, looking down on the party downstairs. He gazed down at the people. He saw Armin wading through the crowd nervously, a flute of champaigne in his hand. What he worried about most, however was that he didn't see his pursuer anywhere in sight. 

"Behind you." The voice was deep and slightly accented, and Jean turned to be greeted by a knee in the kidney by the King of Clubs. Jean gasped, grabbing his side and the man breathed a little laugh out of his nose as he easily yanked Jean up from the ground, pulling him against his own body and wrapping his large hand around the back of Jean's neck to hold him against him. He snaked his hand under Jean's shirt, running his hand down the taunt, muscled abs, then grabbed the handle of the handgun in his pants. "You should never carry a gun in the front of your pants like this. It's a good way to shoot your dick off." He said with a laugh.

"Aah..." Jean let out a moan involuntarily as the man played with the weapon down his pants.

Marco dropped Jean to the ground, throwing the handgun he retrieved from Jean's pants off to the side. He then dropped down on top of him, pinning Jean to the ground with his knee, he pulled an intimidating, serrated knife out of his shoulder sheath and pressed it to Jean's throat.

"Where's the information."

"What information."

The man let out a short breathy laugh, before reaching down and tearing Jean's navy blue dress shirt open, buttons flying everywhere at Marco's forceful tug. He pressed the tip of the knife against the left side of Jean's chest, and began to carve something. 

"Aah! Aah! Stop! Okay!" Jean screamed.

Marco covered up Jean's mouth to quell his cries as he completed his carving of the small club into his left pectoral muscle, just above his dusty brown nipple, pierced through with a small silver bar. 

"Yes, you're going to tell me now?" Marco asked, wiping off his knife on Jean's jacket and looking over his handwork on Jean's chest. 

"No, I just wanted you to stop, asshole." Jean laughed huskily, then he grabbed Marco by the jacket and rammed their heads together. Jean had no idea how to correctly headbutt someone and it hurt like fuck, but it stunned the larger man enough for Jean to be able to throw his knee into the man's stomach and kick him off, jumping back up to his feet. He dashed a few feet down the balcony, looking over his shoulder. Marco was up again in no time, outpacing Jean and going to grab him around the waist, but Jean turned, punching Marco across the face forcefully. 

"You have a nice swing there." Marco said, holding his jaw and reeling from Jean's well practiced right hook. He spent hours training to be in shape for his job, and sparring was one of his favorite things. He smiled at Marco's surprise. 

The shorter man looked down and saw the blood from his chest leaking onto his shirt, so he tore off his jacket and his heavy white mask, leaving his bloodied, ruined shirt hanging off his shoulders. Marco had already identified him, there was no need for him to wear his mask if he was about to fight for his life. 

Marco looked Jean over as the smaller man folded up his sleeves, readying for a fight. He was long legged, handsome, with sandy hair and firey green eyes. Marco lifted his mask off and shed his jacket in turn, and Jean's eyes raked over the man's beautiful olive skin, dark hair and wild freckles. God, he'd be so into him, literally, if the man wasn't intent on slitting his throat. 

Marco came at Jean swinging his fist, which Jean dodged, returning a swing. Jean was fast, but he knew he'd only be able to take one or two of whatever hits Marco could lay out. He was built, broad shouldered, and exceptionally strong, and would be able to knock him out fast. 

It came faster than he expected it to, a plow to the gut that knocked the wind straight out of him, driving him to his knees. A small line of saliva dripped from his upper lip onto the ground as he held his stomach and choked for oxygen. 

Marco was on him, gripping his hair and yanking his head back. 

"Where's the information." He demanded, knife at his throat again, already tipped with his blood.

"I don't have it. I already told you that. Guess you'll have to kill me." 

He pressed the tip of the knife to Jean's throat with a laugh. "Fine, I can do that. Any last requests?" 

Jean smirked. "Yeah."

"Well?"

"I'd hate to die a virgin."

\--

Armin twisted the stem of the champagne glass in his hand. Jean had disappeared. He hoped he wasn't dead. He hadn't heard any gunshots or anything, not like that mattered...

There was a sudden hand on his shoulder, and he turned around. A man in what appeared to be a devil mask said "If you'll come with me," gripping Armin's shoulder in a vice grip, not giving him much of a choice. Armin followed him. 

He went with the man back to a secluded, small room, where the man asked for the disk with the information on it. Armin reluctantly handed it over. The man unfolded it and stuck it into his computer. It seemed to be downloading for a few moments, and then the computer was flooded with images of nude models and popups from computer. The virus flooded the system, then the computer shut down with a fizzing sound, followed seconds later by the power to the whole building. 

Armin took the opportunity of the lights out to stumble towards the door of the room. He grappled for the handle, finally finding it, he swung the door open and dashed out into the hall. The man yelled and jumped up to follow him, tripping over a box in the office, then finding his feet again as the generators whirred to life, flooding the theatre with life, the confused guests picking up the conversations exactly where they had left off. 

Armin ran as fast as he could down the small service hallway away from the secluded office. This is the part where he died. He heard the man behind him drawing a weapon, and then he heard a gunshot. The burning in his left arm made him stumble, losing a pace, and he reached up to feel warm liquid running down his left arm. He had been shot. 

He looked over his shoulder, and saw the man steading his weapon at him again. He ran, squeezing his eyes closed. He had been sure he was going to die tonight, he wasn't exactly sure why he was so surprised. He held his breath, waiting for the second gunshot.

His flight was interrupted by a completely solid wall of flesh. He ran face forward into one of the largest men he had ever seen, bouncing off of the man and ending up in a sprawling heap at his feet. 

There was another gunshot, that imbedded in the floor right next to Armin's thigh, then a third. The third was louder, and closer, and Armin heard his pursuer drop to the ground. 

Armin slowly lifted his eyes to see who he had run in to. The tall, blonde man's arms were still outstretched, holding a smoking gun. The man was wearing a simple silver mask, and when he bent down to look the heap that was Armin over, he recognized a familiar petite body and blonde hair. He gripped Armin's mask and pulled it away. He then did the same to himself, smiling at Armin's recognition. 

"Hey, Juicebox." The man laughed. "Well I didn't think I would see you here, of all places." 

Armin gaped. Although he had sorted through all the information and seen the King of Diamond's picture, he wasn't sure how he hadn't put it together that he had been the man that he had met in the club that night. It was him. He couldn't believe he was seeing him again. A shiver ran up his spine. He was probably about to kill him, but at least he would die happy. 

Erwin reached up around his neck, untying his tie, he slipped it from his shoulders, letting it hang from one hand. Armin released his grip on his bleeding arm, quickly crabwalking backward, blood leaking onto the ground, his one hand leaving bloody handprints as he scooted himself up into the wall. Was Erwin going to strangle him with it? 

Erwin crouched down next to where Armin was against the wall and gently smiled. "Shh." He said. "I'm not going to hurt you." He looked Armin's arm over, the bullet has shot clean through his forearm in nearly an impossible feat. 

"I'm not even sure how that happened." Erwin said, as he rotated Armin's small forearm in his large hand. "You'll be fine. Keep it clean." He lifted his expensive silver silk tie and wrapped it around the seeping wound. 

"Thank you." Armin said, shyly. 

Erwin smiled, helping the younger blonde to his feet. "I need you to tell me where all the documents you took out of our operating system are, Armin." Erwin said, stern for the first time. 

"They're gone." 

Erwin's brows furrowed. "Who did you sell them to?" 

"No one. We destroyed them. The disk was a virus, that's why the guy was chasing me." 

"What? Why? Why did you do that?" 

Armin sighed. "You, the Suits, you're not the best, you do some weird shit. But overall, we decided that you've done some really important clean up for this world. For this town. It's controversial. People would disagree with us, we know. Starwood is the bad guys. And Me and Jean can be assholes and generally have only cared about ourselves, and money. But this time, we decided that maybe its time to think about other people, you know. You have helped a lot of people, even if it's indirectly." 

Erwin smiled. "That's very noble of you. I'm glad. But we can talk more about that later. Now, you came with your friend, right?"

Armin nodded. 

"We need to find him and get out of here. Marco is here, hopefully he didn't find him first, or I'm afraid there won't be much left of him."

Armin bit his bottom lip at the statement. 

The two blondes hurriedly wandered the hallways, looking for places away from people where the two could have had an altercation. They went upstairs, and found a bloody balcony area where two men's jackets and masks were haphazardly thrown on the ground "They were here." Erwin said, picking up Marco's mask.

Armin chewed on his bottom lip more in terror, not wanting to know what could have happened to Jean. After already seeing the blood everywhere, he was afraid for his friend. 

They followed the hallway a bit, and found a ripped, bloody shirt, and a larger shirt torn off and thrown on the ground. A few steps down the hallway there were shoes, pants and socks, and then a few steps further, there was a gun, and two pairs of boxer briefs. 

"What the fuck." Armin whispered, picking up one of the pairs of boxers with his finger.

\--

EARLIER...

"I would hate to die a virgin."

"Really. That's your wish." Marco said, pressing the knife into Jean's throat. "You expect me to believe you're a virgin."

"What, why wouldn't you believe that?"

Marco looked Jean over. Because, he was sexy. A toned, fit body, tattoos, and small, pierced nipples, which were his secret weakness. God, Marco wanted his body. If he could use his dying wish as a chance to have him, he wouldn't mind it.

"Fine. If that's what you want. I'll give it to you. I'm not a very gentle person though so don't cry about it."

Jean laughed. "Ha. YOU don't cry."

He wasn't sure why Marco had kissed him. He had yanked up from the ground forcefully by his hair, and then grabbed him around the waist, slamming their lips together. it was rough at first, but Jean slid his mouth a bit to the side, allowing their mouths to slot together perfectly. Marco tasted of a dark red wine, and was rough, biting on his bottom lip as he worked Jean's ruined shirt off his arms, biting along his neck and down his shoulder, making Jean's back arch and a gasp escape from the back of his throat. They continued kissing as Marco yanked Jean out of the balcony area and down the hallway into a small prop closet, shucking their clothes piece by piece until they were completely naked in the small room.

Marco's bulky shoulders flexed as he grabbed Jean around the slender thighs, lifting him up and sitting him down on the edge of a dresser. Licking two of his fingers he began to finger Jean open. 

"Aah, nnh, it's...aah..." Jean moaned, as Marco quickly began to slip one finger into his partner, pushing it around inside. He had never been the gentle type. he couldn't even keep plants alive. He wasn't a nurturer. He knew he was about to kill Jean, but still, looking at him, his beautiful green eyes fluttering and the beads of blood running down his chest from his own mark carved into his chest, he didn't want to hurt him. He wanted to make him scream in pleasure and hear those beautiful lips moan his name over and over. 

He slipped a second finger in beside his first, and Jean keened, throwing his head back as he let Marco stretch him. Marco took the opportunity to dig his teeth into that long, swan-like neck that was so vulnerable on display for him, making Jean let out even more delicious sounds. The smaller man reached his hands around, grasping for purchase on Marco's shoulders. "Aah....mmmm, oh its-so good! Ah!" Marco relished in the sounds he was making pour from the man's lips as he threw one leg over his shoulder and continued to stretch him. His cock hung heavy and dripping between his legs, hungry to be inside. 

"Please....ah...."

"It's Marco." He whispered, putting his face next to Jean's ear, his breath sending little shiver's across Jean's back. Jean nodded, as Marco's hand explored his toned, milky chest, the tattoo of a hummingbird on his right pectoral muscle and ghosted over his tender nipple piercings. 

"Jean." His partner choked out his own name. 

"Jean." Marco repeated, the beautiful French name smooth as silk on his tongue, and the smaller man shivering as his name left Marco's lips. "I'm going in now, Jean." The brunette said as he gripped Jean's legs, throwing them over his shoulders. He gently begain to push into the thinner man, Jean throwing his head back and moaning. "Aah, oh, Marco!" Marco gritted his teeth, trying hard not to cum just as he made his way inside of Jean's tight warm heat. 

"Aah!" Jean screamed out again, as his lover made it all the way inside of him, pushing his thick, lengthy member all the way in to the hilt. "MMM, 's so...so good..."

Marco pulled out slowly, then worked his way back in, repeating the slow motion until Jean was begging for a faster pace. At that, he happily obliged, holding the slender man in his arms and slamming into him.

"AAAH! MARCO! YES, MORE! PLEASE!" Jean screamed, his fingernails tearing across the freckled olive flesh on Marco's back. He growled at the tinge of pain, which shot pleasure all through his body. He lifted Jean up from the cabinet, Jean's legs moving to lock around Marco's hips, his fingers lacing through the soft, wild curls. He moved them a few feet over to a bare wall and pushed his lover's back against it, holding him tightly under the thighs, and slammed into him again, making Jean moan and keen at the new angle. "Marco! AAh! Marco, right there...'s so perfect, 'so good, Marco!!" 

Marco lifted is hips just a bit, driving into Jean's prostate so he came immediately with a shout. He didn't stop though, he continued thrusting, Jean moaning, his head lolling forward from the overstimulation. 

Marco reached down with two fingers and pulled Jean's gaze to meet his, but his head lolled forward again, and Marco realized he had lost consciousness. Marco slowed his thrusts, until with a gasp, Jean was back, digging his fingernails into Marco's back and his heels into his hips. 

"There you are." Marco murmured, as Jean's eyes came back into focus. Where did you go?" He pinned his lover up against the wall again, thrusting into him at a punishing pace. 

"Aaah-goddamn, Marco, mmm,...heaven, I think," He said with a hoarse chuckle. Marco slammed his lips into Jean's and they kissed roughly, fiery passion running through their bodies. The smaller man's fingernails tore flesh from his lover's shoulders as he moaned into his mouth, throwing his head back and hitting it on the wall as Marco rammed into the perfect spot again. 

"M--marco...gonna come again..." He gasped, digging his fingers into Marco's hair and painfully pulling while he splashed his second load across their chests. 

Marco growled at the million pinpricks of pain and pleasure and he came sloppily inside of Jean with a grunt. 

They stayed pressed against the wall for just a moment, and then Marco's knees buckled and they slid to the floor. Marco stayed nestled inside Jean's warmth, his cum dripping down his legs and into his own lap as he pulled Jean against him. 

Jean was trembling, his fingers wrapped around Marco's thick biceps, his head on his broad chest, eyes slid closed. The larger man couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle as he caught his breath. It was good. Really good. Pity that he had to die now. 

"You can kill me now." Jean said quietly. "Better you than Starwood."

"Why would Starwood kill you?" Marco asked, reaching across the room for his knife.

"Because we didn't deliver the information. So they'll kill us eventually. I'd rather die now like this then from something else." He breathed.

Marco gently ran his fingers through Jean's sweat soaked hair. He wasn't really sure what Jean meant by that. 

The door to the room burst open, and Erwin and Armin were greeted by the sight of a completely naked Jean resting in Marco's lap, The assassin's one hand stroking Jean's hair, the other holding a knife. 

"Marco, wait..." Erwin said, but then surveyed the scene. "What?"

"Knock next time." He said sarcastically.

"What is going on?" Armin practically shrieked. 

"Dying wish. He didn't want to die a virgin." 

Armin snorted. "Jean's not a virgin." 

Jean opened one eye and shot Armin a death glare. Armin followed up his statement awkwardly with "anymore..."

"What's going on, Erwin? Why are you here with this guy?" Marco asked, eyeing Armin.

"We're still in the clear. The Shadow Brokers never handed over the information."

"How do you know that's true. They could be lying, you know." 

"Do you think liars get shot?" Erwin asked, pointing to Armin's arm, wrapped in his tie. 

"Sure, all the fucking time, Erwin. Besides, even if they didn't give the information away today, they could just be waiting to give it to a higher bidder. and they know who we are. No loose ends." Marco said, putting his knife to the throat of the very-sated, nearly asleep Jean, who could have died right then and have been perfectly fine with it. 

"Stand down, Marco. This isn't the mob. They know who we are, we know who they are. The playing field is even now." There was a slight pause in the conversation before Erwin continued, "You know, I really didn't know that this was an interrogation tactic you employed. Maybe we should start calling you the King of Hearts." Erwin said smugly, looking at Jean snuggled into Marco's chest.

Marco pointed his knife at Erwin. "One time thing." 

"Well in any case, we need to get cleaned up and get out of here." 

Marco ran his fingers through Jean's hair, then down his neck and across his shoulder, inspecting the large red bite marks he had left there. No doubt they would stay for awhile. He ran his finger down his chest, over the scabbed over club that he had carved into his chest. He wondered if it would scar. He kind of hoped so, selfishly. He was fairly certain he would never, ever forget this night. He hoped Jean wouldn't forget him, either. 

\--

Eren swung the door to he and Levi's apartment open and was greeted by Marco and Erwin, looking a little more disheveled than expected. Erwin was missing his tie and had a bit of blood on his shirt, and Marco was wrinkled and smelled like sex, but they had all known him for years and were pretty sure he didn't have sex, he just watched kpop videos and jerked off or something. It was strange to think that he was actually...with someone.

"Did you get rid of the intel brokers?" Eren asked hopefully as he closed the door behind them, leading them into the kitchen, where Levi stood making tea.

"No." Erwin began. He explained the situation of the night, from Armin delivering a virus to the drop off point, and the two Shadow Brokers deciding that they didn't want to give the information over because although the Suits did unorthodox things sometimes, they were ultimately a force for good.

"What?" Well where are they now? They're with you, right?" 

"No why would they be?" Erwin asked, straightening out his suit. 

"Are you serious?" Eren said, grabbing his hair. "Are you fucking serious right now?"

They looked amongst themselves, trying to figure out what was making Eren so worked up.

"What's got your panties in a twist?" Levi finally asked. 

"They were hired by someone." Eren said, rubbing his forehead, trying to figure out how to formulate his thoughts.

"Starwood Pharmasuticals." Marco chimed in. "Jean told me that. "He actually said that he would rather have us kill him than--" His thoughts trailed off as he started to realize where Eren was going with the conversation, and suddenly started to feel like an idiot.

"They didn't deliver. They could have just given the information and left, like normal asshole info brokers. That was their job. We probably ultimately would have found a way to weather it. But they traded their lives for ours. And you're just going to let them wander off into the sunset, like everything is going to be okay for them? Are you fucking kidding me?"

Eren looked from Marco, to Erwin, then to Levi. "They did what they did for us. They didn't sell us out. And if you think two little computer nerds can withstand an assault from Starwood you're wrong. They're our responsibility now, if they're not dead already." He said walked a few steps, and reaching on top of the refrigerator he grabbed a gun. "If you guys are going to be assholes about it, I'll go find them myself."

Without another word, Eren checked the clip in his gun, then left the kitchen, slipped on some shoes and exited the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

"Well, shit." Levi mumbled, scratching the back of his head. He sighed, looking down at his fresh cup of tea, then he leaned down under the sink and pulled out another handgun, that was stashed inside the cabinet. "Well, I guess its time to go."


	7. The Things You Don't Pack In The Go Bag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for your comments. I love them! So glad you're enjoying the story <3

"Burn it. Burn it all." Jean instructed, exiting the bathroom quickly, a towel around his waist, drying his hair haphazardly with a hand towel. He had sufficiently washed the mix of cum and sweat off of his body, as well as the dark, musky scent of Marco's cologne, which he was sad no longer lingered against his skin. However, they had bigger things to worry about.

There were four separate fires in the apartment, one raging in the small gas fireplace, one on the stove in a frying pan, and two carefully contained in small metal trash cans in the living room. Armin was yanking documents out of the filing cabinets in the office and the large safe stood open as he dumped thick files from inside it into the burn piles. 

Jean watched the fires rage. As a fireman it made his eye twitch, seeing fires in every corner of his house getting bigger as Armin restocked them with fresh papers. But he knew this was the best way to get rid of the evidence of their activities quickly. 

After adding paper to the fires, Armin went back to his work dissecting the large supercomputer they had constructed. He was pulling out hard drives and memory cards, tearing the cords from their ports. When he had sufficiently finished tearing it apart, he scooped the disks and drives he had just removed up in his arms and moved to the kitchen, throwing them into the microwave to fry them beyond repair. He also took he and Jean's cell phones, the phone they used to access their forum, and his tiny netbook, and shoved them in the microwave, turning it on high.

Jean continued watching while he quickly yanked himself into some gunpowder grey jeans and a black henley, leaving his wet towels on the floor of the hallway. Armin always scolded him about how he had to follow him around, cleaning up after him. After today, he would never hear that again. 

He pushed the thought from his mind and made his way to the back porch where they kept two small duffle bags stashed away under a small tarp. They were their go bags- one for each of them, containing train tickets, a couple pairs of clothes, miscellaneous toiletries, along with new cell phones and enough cash to help them get a fresh start. 

They had always known this day would come.

Jean carried the bags inside and dropped them on the floor near the futon. He watching Armin dump more files into the fire raging in the frying pan. The flames were raging much too high for his comfort, and he has to actively fight the urge to grab one of the many fire extinguishers in the house to put the blaze out. 

Armin pulled the last handful of papers out of the bottom of the filing cabinet, dropping the drawer to the ground with a loud metallic clang. That was it. They were burning all of their research. The thousands of dollars worth of intel they had gathered in the past few years they'd been together. It wasn't important, not really. But, the Shadow Brokers was the life they had built together. Now it was over.

Armin had stripped off his suit jacket and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his dress shirt to beat the heat from the fires in their apartment. Erwin's necktie was still tightly wrapped around his bullet wound in his arm. It had once been silver, it was now a crusty deep maroon, soaked through with blood. 

Jean walked into the office, slowly putting his hand on Armin's shoulder, making him jump. 

"Sorry." The blonde mumbled. "Startled me." 

"You should shower and clean up your wound. I'll take care of the rest of this." Jean said quietly. 

Armin nodded, not saying anything in response. He pulled away from his roommate's grip on his shoulder, and moved out and down the hallway, the bathroom door closing behind him. 

Jean didn't have much to say either. He knew he and Armin would have to split up immediately after they were finished cleaning, they'd be a much easier target as the two of them together. He couldn't imaging being without Armin, after all they'd been through together. Armin was his family, and he knew the blonde felt the same way about him in return.

He looked around the office and his brow furrowed, picking up a picture that lay face down on the floor. He turned it over and smiled. It was a photo of himself and Armin, a selfie taken with a blanket of white snow behind them, followed up by two enormous mountain peaks. They were both bundled in furry jackets, Armin beaming a huge, carefree smile while Jean held him around the shoulders, pulling him in close. Jean's hair was styled in a ridiculous colored faux hawk, making him roll his eyes as he looked at it, a smile tugging at his lips. 

It had been years previous, on Armin's 21st birthday. All Armin had wanted for his birthday was to play in the snow. Real snow. Deep snow. Jean had surprised him with a trip to a small, secluded cabin far up north for a couple weeks. It was a good couple weeks. Jean smirked, chewing his bottom lip as he thought about the past, then he sighed, the light leaving his eyes as he remembered it was all about to end. 

He laid the picture on the desk, trying once again to push the thought from his mind and focus on the task at hand. He gathered up the remaining documents from around the house and burnt them all until there was nothing left. He checked the sizzling pieces of the drives and disks in the microwave to make sure they were well and fried, and then left them cooking a little longer while he threw the small remnants of papers from the trashcan and frying pan fires into the natural gas fireplace, letting it continue to burn until there was nothing left but ashes.

Armin emerged from the bathroom fresh from the shower, dressed in a black zip-up hoodie and jeans, his hair tied up in a damp bun.

He looked at Jean from across the room, not saying anything, neither of them exactly sure what to do.

"I found that picture from your birthday trip to the Mount Blanc." Jean said, leaning up against the edge of the fireplace and looking at Armin. 

The blonde smiled softly, the corner of his mouth pulling up in a smirk. "Right. That was fun. That tiny cabin, the fire, all that snow." 

"It was. It was really cozy." 

"Mmm. Cozy." Armin said, repeating the word, the smirk playing on his lips. 

There was silence between them for a moment while they both replayed precious memories in their heads. 

"We have to go, Armin." Jean said softly after a moment, picking up the duffel bags, one in each hand. 

Armin nodded. He crossed the room to Jean, taking the blue bag from his friend. He unzipped the small bag, checking the contents, then zipped it closed once he was satisfied it contained everything he needed.

He looked at Jean for a moment, before leaning forward, letting his head thump into the middle of Jean's chest. Jean rested his own bag on the floor, wrapping both of his long arms around Armin's waist. 

"Where will you go?" The blonde asked quietly, his words vibrating into Jean's pecs.

Jean pursed his lips, playing with a few loose strands of Armin's hair. "Do you really want to know?" 

Armin looked up, and resting his chin on Jean's chest, he shook his head. They had promised they wouldn't tell each other in case one of them got caught and tortured for information. The chances were highly likely, and it would be safer for them both if they didn't know. 

"We'll find each other again, Armin." Jean said, quietly. "After this is all over. We will."

"I know." Armin murmured. "We have to. You're the only family I have left." 

Jean nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat, while Armin wrapped his arms around him, squeezing him tightly in a long hug. Jean held him close, running his hands down his small, slender back. Then Armin slipped away from him, mobilizing and getting ready to leave. He slipped into a pair of shoes and Jean clenched his teeth, not at all ready to be separated from his best friend. But he readied himself anyway, picking the handgun up off the counter, stuffing it in the back of his pants. 

"Listen, Jean-" Armin started, then paused. "Do you hear that?" 

There was a slow successions of thumps outside their door, signifying someone coming up the small staircase to their apartment. 

Armin's eyes widened, as he looked from the door to Jean. "It's too late."

Jean yanked the weapon out of his pants, pointing it at the door, waiting for an explosion. There was silence at first, followed by a polite knock. 

"What..." Armin whispered. 

The knock came again, followed by silence. 

Jean looked at Armin out of the corner of his eye, and the blonde just shook his head. Don't move. Don't speak. Don't breathe.

The silence was followed up by a soft scratching noise.

"What is that?" Jean whispered.

"It's a lockpick." Armin responded, grabbing Jean and pulling him behind the futon. The scratching stopped, the door swung open and a gun fired.

The gunshot came from the weapon in Jean's hand, and his shot was about 6 inches off of its mark, the bullet imbedding smack in the middle of a nice "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" replica painting that hung on the wall just to the left of the front door. In the open doorway stood only one man, looking a little frazzled but for the most part not surprised that he had almost just been shot. 

He was painfully handsome, and was wearing ripped jeans and a black band shirt with a red and blue flannel thrown over it. His shaggy chestnut hair was half pulled back in a ponytail. 

Jean recognized the man in the doorway immediately, his head turning slightly to the side in confusion.

Eren's eyes scanned the room, landing on the two men whose heads were popping up from behind the futon. The brunette pointed at the taller man, jaw dropping. "Hey, its Jean, right? Jean the fireman?"

"Yeah...Eren, right?" Jean responded slowly, and the guest nodded with a wide smile. 

Armin looked at Eren, then back at Jean, then at Eren, confused. "Do you...who are you?" 

"I'm Eren. Jean saved my..." He paused, as if thinking of the right word to use. "...Levi from bleeding out on the sidewalk one night." He finished.

"Right. Cool." Armin said awkwardly, poking his fingers together. "So-" 

"Are you here to kill us?" Jean finished Armin's sentence for him, his gun leveled at Eren's chest. 

Eren grinned. "Quite the opposite. Thought I would try to come and help you guys out, since Starwood is obviously on their way to knock you off, or worse." 

"Not sure what could be worse than that..." Jean murmured, Eren responding with one raised eyebrow in a sort of 'you don't want to know' gesture. 

"How did you know about that? About us...and Starwood?" Armin asked, trying to understand why the hipster-looking man was in his house and what his words meant. 

"Because." He said, pulling up the side of his shirt, revealing a simple heart tattooed onto his carved hipbone. 

Looking from the tattoo to the grin on Eren's face, suddenly everything made sense. The man in the doorway looked so completely different from his pictures they had seen of the King of Hearts. He had looked older in the intel files, somehow. Suave, sophisticated, dashing. Standing in the doorway dressed in a flannel and torn jeans, he looked approachable, young and charming. Like someone you would tell all your secrets to. 

"You're the King of Hearts." Armin breathed. "You look different in person."

Eren chuckled. "I can be whomever I need to be when it comes down to it. The real me is pretty lowkey, though." He looked the two over, his brows knitting together. "In any event, if you two want to live until tomorrow, its time to get the hell out of here."

"Why'd you come to help us?" Jean asked, sticking the gun in the back of his pants. 

"Because Erwin and Marco are assholes and shouldn't have let you out of their sight. If you didn't sell us out to Starwood, then we owe you. We owe it to you to keep you under our protection from now on. Now let's get out of here." 

There was a screech of tires, and Armin hurried to the window to see a large black van with men piling out of it in the parking lot below. "It's too late." He said, gripping the window sill. "Really this time."

There was the loud bang as the door at the bottom of the stairs was blown in, followed by loud clomping of multiple pairs of feet coming up the steps. 

"Well, they're sure as hell not worried about stealth." Eren said, biting into his lower lip. "Shit. I thought we'd have more time." He sighed, pulling his hair out of the half pony, letting his shaggy locks free. He then tore off his flannel, followed by his band shirt, tossing them on the floor. 

"Hide." He instructed, nodding behind the kitchen counter as he worked his belt open. "And don't worry. Things are going to be just fine."

\--

The door to their apartment blew off its hinges, flying across the room and ramming into the futon with deadly force. Six large men in full tactical gear burst into the apartment, long military-grade rifles in hand. 

The apartment was a mess, strewn with papers, cords, and small items they had dropped in their haste to destroy all their documentation. The office was completely destroyed, large safe open and empty, the drawers from the filing cabinet thrown on the floor and the computer gutted and the screens slashed. The small loft smelled like burning paper and plastic, and there was a thick haze in the air from the burning they had done just a few minutes earlier. 

"We know you're here! Come out, and we won't hurt you." Barked the officer in command.

Jean and Armin looked the soldiers over, wide eyed, not breathing or moving from where Eren had directed them to hide behind the counter. 

Beckoned by the soldier's loud call, Eren wandered out of the bathroom, completely nude except for a pair of tight athletic boxers. He was running his fingers through his wet hair, beads of water running down his shoulders and abs as if he just stepped from the shower. Jean and Armin gaped, wondering how in the world he had been able to jump in and out of the shower so quickly.

The reaction was similar from the men in the doorway, rightly so. Eren's body was amazing. His sunkissed skin was flawless, his chiseled abs moved perfectly down into cut, defined v-lines that dipped down into his boxers, which rode teasingly low on his thin hips. His arms and legs were long and lean, and his luscious chestnut locks were damp and tousled from his fingercombing. His swimming mediterranian eyes were icing on the cake, and made him damn near irresistible.

"I trust you'll pay to have my door reattached." Eren said with irritation, his eyes narrowing to slits. He looked the men over, as if he wasn't at all disturbed by their weapons and tactical gear. "Can I help you gentlemen with something?" 

The men slowly lowered their weapons at they gaped at Eren. who was moving from the hallway into the living room, avoiding the splintered wood of the door as he leaned up against the side of the fireplace. When he didn't receive an answer, he followed his statement up a few seconds later with an, "um, hello?" 

"Uh, right. We're looking for these men." The man in the front said, clearing his throat. He rustled around in his bulletproof vest, and pulled out pictures of Armin and Jean. They were older pictures, Armin's hair cut a bit differently and Jean in full fireman regalia. 

Eren moved across the room again until he was standing only a couple feet away from the intruders. He squinted at the pictures for a bit, before a look of recognition came over his face. "Right. Rightrightiright. Jean and Armin, right?" 

Behind the bar, Jean reached over and dug his fingernails into Armin's forearm in terror. Armin's vision swam as Jean unwittingly squeezed directly on his bullet wound. He bit into his bottom lip and swallowed his pained cry as he felt the blood start to trickle from his wound again, seeping into the gauze he had quickly wrapped around it. 

The man nodded a single nod in response to Eren's question. 

"Right." Eren continued. "Those two used to live here. Cute kids. They moved recently though. Too bad. Were they scheduled to go to this cosplay party with you?" Eren asked, motioning up and down at the men's tactical gear. 

"Yes?" One of the intruders squeaked out awkwardly, after much too long of a pause. 

Eren thought a moment, then his face lit up in remembrance. "Actually, you know I think I just got a birthday card from them. I can grab their address for you, if you'd like. Hate for them to miss such a great party." He turned away from the men in the doorway and sashayed across the room, his smooth, gently curved back and perfect back dimples now on display, the strangers staring unabashedly at the beautiful figure. Eren went behind the kitchen counter, walking in between Armin and Jean, the two careful not to move a muscle. Eren ruffled through some papers, scribbling something down. And after a bit he made his way back over to the door. 

"Here you go." He said, smiling. He handed the sheet of paper to the man. "Hope you can read it, my handwriting's not great." 

The man looked at it, squinting, then turned the paper a bit to the side. "This just says "The King Of H-" 

Before he could finish his statement, Eren produced a pair of sharp kitchen shears from the waistband of his boxers. He jammed it deep into the throat of the commanding officer, who gasped and fell to the floor, a look of shock in his eyes and he grabbed his neck and choked on his own blood. In a violently quick turn, the shears were thrust up under the second soldier's armpit, stabbing deep into his chest. His body hit the floor the same time as Eren, moving blindingly fast, opened the shears into cutting position and sliced them across the third man's lower belly, just below where the bullet proof vest didn't cover. Blood splashed across the wall and cascaded from the man's belly as he fell to the floor in a disemboweled heap, Armin gripping Jean's leg in horror as the man flailed on the ground in a pile of his own entrails. 

The last three soldiers sprung into action after seeing their comrades murdered. They took aim at Eren with their rifles, tearing holes in the furniture, floors and walls as they showered enormous bullets around the room, Eren springing around with ease. 

"We have to help him." Armin shouted over the sound of the deafeningly loud gunfire, and Jean nodded in agreement, even though he was completely unsure how to do that.

The taller blonde hopped up from behind the counter, whistling through his teeth. His whistle went unheard with the sound of the gunfire, so he instead picked up a frying pan and chucked it at one of the attackers, hitting him square in the back of the head. He attracted all the attention at that point, the focus turning away from Eren into the kitchen, where he and Armin were hiding. 

"Oh, fuck me." Jean whispered, as bullets started ripping through the kitchen, splintering cabinets, embedding in the stove, and shattering the kitchen appliances with cracks and explosions. With the attention suddenly turned away from him, Eren quickly approached one of the soldiers from behind and dug his shears into the back of the man's neck, putting the fourth opponent out of commission. 

Armin continued hiding unseen behind the cabinets, while Jean made a mad dash from the kitchen toward the office. One of the men saw him and lowered his weapon, attempting to follow him into the next room. He moved from the living room and into the small kitchen, and Armin pounced from where he had been hiding, a large butcher's knife in hand. He leapt up on the man's back, clinging to him like a koala, and bringing the thick knife down into the man's back, he stabbed him repeatedly until he dropped to the ground. He continued to stab the man even as he perished, blood spattering across his face and sweatshirt. 

There was a thump and the gunfire ceased, the living room becoming eerily quiet. The last man had turned his focus back to Eren, approaching him with a military-grade knife in hand. Eren swung the shears at the man, but the soldier blocked, slicing Eren's arm with the sharp blade. The brunette dropped his weapon to the ground, and backed up from the man, who advanced, then quickly used a leg sweep, kicking Eren's legs out from under him and slamming him onto his back on the ground. The soldier dropped down on top of the brunette, and with a large shove, drove the knife down toward Eren's heart. The brunette put up his arm, glancing the knife off his forearm and cutting a large gash in his shoulder, missing his heart, but severing a thick artery along his collarbone. Blood gushed from his body as his breathing became labored, and the man held his knife above him again, ready for the killing blow. 

There was one last gunshot, then the apartment fell silent. The soldier's knife fell out of his hand, landing on the carpet with a dull thud, his body slowly falling forward on top of Eren's. 

Jean was holding his glock, standing about two feet away from the pair. He had shot the man in the side of the head, spattering brains and blood all over Eren. 

Jean was down on his knees instantly beside Eren, pushing the heavy body off of him and looking him over. "Oh my god, Eren. Oh my god." 

There was another round of heavy footsteps on the stairs, and Armin grabbed the gun from Jean's hand and held it parallel at the door, his blood spattered hands shaking. They wouldn't be able to fight off another round of soldiers. But he could die trying. 

The next few faces in the door were familiar. Erwin, Marco, and the man Armin recognized as his barber, who from the situation, could only be the King of Spades. 

Levi looked at the blood spattered room, and the bodies spread all over. His eyes flicked to Armin next, who was clenching the weapon in his hands, shaking. He looked beyond the blonde to see Eren on the floor, a tall, sandy haired man next to him, hands covered in crimson. He was across the room in a few steps, dropping to his knees next to Jean. "What happened?" He demanded. Eren's face, arms and neck were covered in red, and Jean was holding his hands over the enormous gash in the brunette's shoulder. 

Erwin looked concernedly from Eren to Armin, and Marco surveyed the scene, looking at Jean. 

"Eren, oh my god." Levi trembled, tearing off his jacket and using it to cover Eren's exposed hips. "Eren, what did you do?" 

"Not much. You know me, just a cry for attention." Eren barked a hoarse laugh, his teeth chattering together. He rolled his head to the side to look at Marco and Erwin. "For the record, this was your job, fucking assholes. If I die, I'm haunting you exclusively."

Marco bit into his bottom lip. Eren could joke about it, but in all honesty, this was not looking good. 

Levi looked over at Jean, wide eyed, and then Marco, who came and stood over Jean's shoulder. "Is he going to be okay?" 

Jean opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a small squeak. 

"There's an artery damaged." Marco spoke for him, crouching down, resting his hand on Jean's shoulder. "I can stitch it up but it'll be for shit if we can't stop the bleeding." 

"How do we stop it?" Levi asked, looking from Marco back to Eren. 

"What do we have?" Marco asked, furrowing his brow before slipping out of his suit jacket, which was a bit wrinkled from being thrown violently on the floor at the masquerade a few hours previous. 

"I-I don't have any medical supplies here." Jean stumbled. 

"We have a first aid kit in the car." Erwin said quickly. "I'll go get it." 

The large blonde disappeared out the door and the room was silent, the only noise Eren's labored breathing. Marco took over for Jean, holding a towel retrieved from the kitchen over the brunette's concerning wound, blood still flowing freely from the other two cuts on his arm. 

What seemed like an eternity later, Erwin returned with a small zip up bag. It was different than most household first aid kits, there was gauze, bandages, sutures, but also syringes and a few bottles. 

Eren coughed, blood on his lips, and Levi grabbed his hand and realized it was ice cold. The towel over his wound was soaked crimson and the carpet below him was sticky and soaked with his blood. It wasn't looking good. 

Marco dug through the first aid kit, pulling out gauze, a needle and some surgical thread. Nothing in the kit seemed to be anything that would be able to help. They were past that point now. 

"What are in those vials, Jean?" Marco asked, pointing to the small vials next to the syringes. 

Jean grabbed them and quickly looked at them. "Penicillin, Tetrapz-I can't say this one. And this one here, it just says "Last Wish" on it. Maybe adrenaline?" 

"That's all it says?" 

"Yes. What is this, Erwin?" Jean asked, showing the bottle of small, light blue liquid to Erwin. 

The blonde's brow furrowed. "I don't know. Honestly, I received that bag a couple Christmases ago as a gift. I'm not sure what that is." 

Eren coughed again, visibly turning whiter. 

"We're losing him, Jean. I don't know what the fuck this is. But we're going to use it." Marco said, taking the vial from Jean.

"Wait, what?" Levi exclaimed reaching out and grabbing Marco's arm, "You don't even know what that is! What if--" 

"--What if it kills him?" Marco asked. "Seriously, Levi, he's already gone. There's nothing this could possibly do that would be detrimental to him at this moment." 

Marco quickly filled a syringe up, carefully getting rid of the air bubbles before he slammed it into Eren's neck. He was mostly unresponsive by now, teal eyes glazing over as his grip on Levi's hand loosened. 

"Eren. Hey, you brat, you better not die." Levi said, reaching forward and grabbing both of Eren's hands. "Eren. Can you hear me? Eren. Don't die. Don't die, you brat." His voice cracked as he reached up, grabbing around Eren's shoulders. "Eren." He shook him slightly, Eren's head lolling to the side, unresponsive. "Eren!!"

"I think...wait. Wait. The bleeding...its slowing." Jean said, clenching Marco's arm as they stared at the unconscious patient. 

"We can suture it now, at least. Is he still with us?" Marco asked, grabbing the needle and hastily stitching the large gash on Eren's shoulder closed. 

Jean leaned down, and heard a faint, nearly impossible, whisper of a breath. 

"He's still here." Jean murmured as Marco stitched the wound on his shoulder, followed by the two smaller cuts on his arm. 

"He's fine, right?" Levi said, gripping Eren's cold, unresponding hand once Marco was finished. 

Marco looked at him. "He's alive. We'll have to wait and see. For now, we have to get out of here, before they come back." 

"They will." Erwin replied, moving to Armin, who was blood spattered and trembling, clearly in shock. He grabbed the small man around the waist and hoisted his body up off the ground and into his arms. 

Armin wrapping his arms around Erwin's neck allowing himself to be carried as he trembled.

"Let's go." Marco said, as he gently lifted Eren's lifeless body from the ground and they made their way out of the destroyed apartment.

\-- 

Eren was laid out on a decorated chaise in a familiar sitting room. They all had ended up at Erwin's large estate, safe and together. Levi sat next to the old fashioned couch, his head resting on the blue and black paisley patterned bench, his hand holding Eren's. The younger man was breathing a little more steadily now, and Levi had taken a bath with him, washing him clean of the blood and brains that covered him. It wasn't very sensual, as he tried to support that man's long, lanky body in the bathtub, making sure neither or them drowned and both of them got cleaned, it was more something out of a comedy sketch. But he had completed the task and now the young brunette was resting and healing, wearing a pair of Erwin's oversized pajama pants. He looked like he could be sleeping, his breath soft and steady. He was alive. He was going to be okay. 

But...his breath caught in his throat as he remembered the night's events. This could have been it. He could have lost him. Tonight could have been the last night on earth that he ever had with Eren. 

He squeezed the younger man's hand. Eren. He couldn't imagine his life without Eren. Eren was part of him. He wasn't sure if he could live and breathe without him. All he knew was that he didn't want to, and he needed him to know. He needed Eren. 

\-- 

Erwin carried Armin down endless hallways, then up a twisting iron staircase to his bedroom, which was situated at the highest point of the entire estate. It was an amazing master suite, with a enormous four-posted canopy bed, armoire, and large bay windows, as well as a sliding glass door that went out to a long balcony. 

The balcony looked out over the driveway, the large front gardens, and the wooded property beyond. It was a breathtaking bird's eye view. Armin would have felt like a princess in a tower, if he wasn't covered in blood and shaking from the series of events that had just taken place. He had seen people killed right in front of him, a man absolutely disemboweled, and his hands shook as he clenched and unclenched his fists, the sight and sound of the knife entering and exiting the soldier he had killed not leaving his mind. The man's blood was crusted across his hands, his shirt and even his face. 

Erwin carried him quickly into the large bathroom which sat adjacent to the bedroom, setting the small blonde down on the counter while he reached inside the large shower, turning it on. The shower was exquisite, just like everything else in the home. It was large and modern, with beautiful stones covering the walls and the floor, each one unique. The entire shower ceiling acted as the showerhead, pouring water straight down in constant streams, creating the illusion of rain. 

The elder man went to a wall cabinet and pulled out a fluffy white towel and a few other toilitry items, laying the toiletry items on the sink and handing the towel to Armin. "You can clean up in here. I'll use the shower downstairs." 

He moved to exit the bathroom as the shower steam began to fog up the long, oblong mirror. Armin grabbed onto his jacket sleeve, and his movement stilled as he waited to see what the smaller man needed. 

"Please. Stay." Armin whispered. "Just....please. I don't want to be alone right now. Please." 

Erwin nodded. He moved a bit to the side, averting his eyes out of politeness as Armin got down from the sink and peeled out of his blood soaked clothes, then made his way into the shower. Once he was inside, Erwin looked up, examining the petite man through the frosty glass. He stood with his arms wrapped around his waist, staring at his feet as the water poured down on his body. Then it happened, exactly as Erwin had expected it to. The young blonde dropped to his knees, hands slapping roughly on the floor and back arching as he vomited. 

Erwin hummed as he watched the smaller man throw up into the drain. After a bit, he reached over and grabbed the new toothbrush he had pulled out of the cabinet and opened it, putting some toothpaste on it as he watched the small man shudder, his body shaking as he cried and threw up simultaneously. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to sound insensitive by telling him it would be okay. He remembered the first time he had taken a life. He had had the same reaction, even in completely different circumstances. 

He slowly opened the shower door, reaching his hand under the water, he offered the toothbrush to Armin once he had successfully finished wreching. Armin nodded and took it, stuffing it in his mouth. He reached back out quickly, grabbing Erwin's wrist. The larger man could have easily resisted, but he allowed himself to be yanked under the warm shower with the trembling blonde. 

The water poured down on his body, soaking into his suit. Armin pressed his body up against the uncomfortable wet fabrics, begging for comfort. 

Erwin sighed. This was the suit he had gotten tailored especially for the important masquerade ball. It had been expensive. He had wanted his tie to match his mask and it all to go together perfectly. Now it was spattered in blood, his tie was missing, and his expensive suit was about to be a soggy pile on his shower floor. And he was not one bit sad about it. 

Erwin pushed the smaller man back just a bit, and Armin brushed his teeth slowly while he watched Erwin strip off his jacket, vest and dress shirt, then unbuckle his very wet pants, peeling them off. His socks and boxers were the last to go, his clothes ending up in a pile in the corner of the shower. He stood naked in front of the younger blonde, and a smile played on his lips as he watched the smaller man look over his body with wide eyes. 

Erwin was huge in every way. Long, thick limbs, a broad chest and shoulders, hardened abs and defined leg and arm muscles. He was chiseled, blonde and perfectly carved like a statue. His body had more scars on it than Armin was expecting, a long thick braided scar across his shoulder, and a scar that wrapped around his upper thigh. There was a tattoo on his ribs that appeared to be a family crest, sporting a rearing dragon spreading its wings, an "S" stamped across it's winged back. A small black diamond was tattooed on the inside of his left ankle. 

Armin spit the toothpaste lather in his mouth down the drain as he looked up at the man next to him, suddenly feeling very small in every way. Erwin's huge length hung half hard between his legs and Armin gaped at the sheer size of it. The elder man had tried not to get hard looking or thinking about Armin but he couldn't help it. The smaller man was so precious, and in this moment, so vulnerable, Erwin just wanted to hold him. 

The elder blonde leaned forward, and grasping Armin's chin with his hand, he let his lips gently graze against the smaller man's. Armin tasted like cinnamon, and his body was still trembling. He immediately reached out, his hands clenching around Erwin's thick biceps as they kissed, and Erwin groaned at the acceptance. 

The larger man reached over and took some soap out of a nearby bottle, lathering the liquid in his hands. Then he gently began running his hands down the petite blonde's body, wiping the cleansing liquid over him. It had an earthy, sensual scent, and Armin loved it. It smelled like Erwin and was immediately comforting. 

Erwin gently washed the blood off Armin's body while he kissed him, taking careful care of the wound on his arm. He reached up into the smaller man's hair, undoing the bun, he ran his large fingers through the fine blonde strands, tipping his chin up to capture the smaller man's lips again. Armin ran his fingers down Erwin's large chest, feeling the toned skin underneath his fingertips. 

The shower water was eventually stilled and Erwin climbed out, grabbing a towel for Armin and for himself. "Would you like to sleep up here with me tonight?" Erwin asked gently. 

"Yes." Came the quiet reply.

Erwin smiled softly. "Alright." He led Armin over to the sink and dried off his arm, gently wrapping his bullet wound in gauze, tying it professionally and cleanly before kissing him on the forehead. He then left the bathroom, Armin trailing after him. 

Erwin moved to the other side of the large bedroom and slid open the door to a large walk in closet. He disappeared inside, coming back out a few seconds later with a simple white button up dress shirt. 

"Is this okay to wear?" He asked, handing it to Armin. 

"Yes. Thank you." Armin replied. He dropped his towel and stood completely naked for a moment while he figured out the large garment, then slipped the shirt over his head without unbuttoning it. The sleeves hung over his hands and the shirt went down past his thighs, and Erwin tried hard to hide his gaping stare as he looked at the small man in his oversized shirt. 

Erwin dropped his towel and slipped into some athletic boxers, making sure the door was locked before he climbed into bed next to the tiny blonde. Silver moonlight streamed in across the room from the open balcony curtain, but Erwin didn't mind. He liked being able to see the small creature in bed with him. 

Armin tossed and turned for the better half of an hour, wrapping himself in the sheets, holding pillows, trying all sorts of things to get comfortable. Finally a large hand reached out and rested on his back. "Are you uncomfortable, Armin?" Erwin's smooth, deep voice asked soothingly.

"No." Armin replied, turning over. Erwin's face was reflected perfectly in the moonlight, hair a little tussled, head propped up on one hand, looking at him intently. Armin gulped at the attention from the handsome man. "Just...uneasy. Afraid. Of what's coming next." 

Erwin brushed a few long strands out of Armin's face, tucking them behind his ear. "Me too." He said quietly. "But, you're safe here. I have alarms, traps, and dogs. Plus, I'm here. Levi is downstairs. And Marco is just across the garden in one of the guest houses. We'll keep you safe." 

Armin nodded. "It's just this whole day...it feels like a bad dream." 

Erwin grabbed Armin around the waist and pulled him close. The small man was cold, and The elder man's body was like a furnace, immediately what the Armin needed. His hands immediately went to Erwin's chest, feeling the skin he craved, and the larger man's hands moved down Armin's thin arms, fingers toying with the buttons on his shirt. 

"Help me." Armin whispered, his thin leg running up the side of Erwin's thigh, snaking around his waist as he pulled their bodies together tighter, fingers running down the elder man's chest. 

"Help you what?"

Armin's hands joined Erwin's on his shirt buttons as he guided the elder man's hands down, unbuttoning each button one by one. The shirt fluttered opened, falling to the sides and exposing Armin's small naked body, jutting hip bones and soft porcelain skin. 

Armin shivered at the sudden change in temperature, his nipples hardening as he pushed his body closer to Erwin's. "Help me forget." 


	8. Sailor Jerry's and The West Wing Attic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The smut we've been waiting for. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and for your likes and comments. I'm so overwhelmed and am so happy you are enjoying the story.

"Let me look at it." 

"No."

"Damnit, Jean. Please." Marco tried to make his voice soft and soothing- two tones he rarely, if never used, so it was a struggle for him, especially as Jean frustrated him further with his stubbornness. The blonde was standing centimeters in front of him, pressed against the porcelain bathroom sink, his left hand clenched over his right as he hid his injury. 

The larger man gently grabbed Jean's shoulder, applying little force so the smaller man could surely fight him if he wanted to. But following the hold on his shoulder, Jean reluctantly turned around, coming face to face with the freckled man. He was beautiful, his olive skin on display and his curly hair wild and damp from just exiting the shower moments before. Jean sighed as he held out his hand toward the man. Marco took it in his, pulling back the hand towel he had pressed on top. At the movement of the towel, Jean hissed but didn't object. Marco lifted Jean's hand closer to his face to examine it.

"Slide bite." Marco said, frowning. He examined the two deep, red cuts on either side of the webbing between Jean's thumb and forefinger, evidence of a handgun being held incorrectly when fired. "Shit."

"It's nothing." Jean said, attempting to pull his hand away. "It was fine, it just opened back up when I was in the shower for some reason." 

"It's actually really deep, Jean." Marco said, holding Jean's hand tight. "We need to clean it." He kept the blonde's hand held in his and pressed his hips into the smaller man's, pinning him against the sink to avoid his inevitable escape plan as he reached around him, squeaking open the mirror to get out some ointment and butterfly bandages. He turned Jean back around, the exhausted blonde allowing him to move him easily so he was facing the sink again. Marco held his hand under the warm water, washing the wounds. He then patted them dry with a new towel, and gently rubbed on the ointment and placed the bandages. 

"There." He murmered, as he looked up to catch Jean's eyes in the mirror. Jean's green orbs stared back at him, examining the taller, broader man behind him. He was all around larger than him, from the width of his shoulders to the length of his arms, and he had at least three inches height-wise on him as well. Jean had always considered himself tall and muscular, but perhaps that was because he had been comparing himself to Armin. 

His slightly tanned skin was a stark contrast to Marco's amazing natural Italian coloring, with the freckles that covered his face and shoulders. Jean hadn't had enough time to study the rest of his body last time, but was sure he had freckles everywhere. The larger man gently traced the patterns in the colorful tattoo down Jean's arms, not wanting to be too obtrusive with his touching after the events of the day. After all, Jean had obviously only made his last request for Marco's body to stall for time. Marco had realistically planned on killing him. He wasn't even sure why Jean had agreed to stay with him here in his bungalow, except that Levi had determined it would probably be safer if they split up. 

There was silence between them for a bit as they looked at each other, then Jean tore his gaze away to look at his hand. "Thank you." 

Marco hummed a response, "You're welcome. Was it your first time firing a gun?" 

"I had before a couple times at a gun range." He looked up again, catching Marco's dark eyes in the mirror. "I'm a fireman. I'm a hero. I save people. I killed someone tonight." 

Marco's stomach churned as he felt Jean's grief, from the pain in his eyes to the way his body tensed against his own. The brunette bit into his lip, wondering what to say. 

"Well, you were Eren's hero tonight. He would have been dead without your action." 

Jean blew a disbelieving breath out of his nose. "You saved him, with everything in the first aid kit. I couldn't even move." 

"There wouldn't have been enough of him left for us to save if it wasn't for you, Jean. Sometimes people are forced to make hard decisions.You made the right one. Just like Armin did when he made the same choice to save you. I know that doesn't help. But know you're not a cold-blooded murderer. You did something brave, and saved a life." Marco said as he ran his hands down Jean's toned arms. 

Jean nodded. He didn't respond, but Marco felt his body loosen. 

The larger man broke away, and Jean followed as the brunette led him into the kitchen of the small two bedroom, one bathroom bungalow that had once served as servant's housing for Erwin's large estate. It sat just across the gardens from the enormous house, having a view of the whole home and expansive gardens. 

Jean leaned against the counter as Marco opened a small cabinet over the stove, revealing half a dozen unfamiliar liquor bottles. 

"What are you in the mood for?" The brunette questioned, showing the bottles to Jean.

"Getting fucked up real fast."

"I can do that." Marco said with a smile, pulling out a bottle of Sailor Jerry's rum and showing it to the blonde. 

Jean shrugged, and Marco pulled two small shot glasses from the cabinet. He filled them to the brim, setting the bottle back down as he handed one off to Jean.

"Cheers." Marco held up his small glass and the two clinked them together. Marco slowly sipped the rum, while Jean downed the whole glass of the burning, unfamiliar alcohol.

"Ow, fuck!" Jean exclaimed, shaking his head as the liquor stung all the way down. 

"Need a chaser?" 

"No." He replied, slamming his shot glass down on the counter. "I'm good." 

Marco smiled as he refilled Jean's glass and he downed it a second time. 

It was only a couple minutes before he was feeling the effects from the strong liquor, the room beginning to blur a bit, and the horrid memories from the night beginning to slip away. Marco sipped from his still half full shot glass as he watched Jean, a smirk on his face. He was happy to see the darkness on the man's face start to fade. 

The blonde's eyes moved to the brunette, drinking in his figure, being able for the first time to appreciate how incredibly handsome he was as he looked at his chest, cut abdomen and v-lines that disappeared into the athletic pants that rode low on his hips. He had a club tattooed on his pectoral muscle, and Jean raised his hand to his own chest, realizing it was exactly identical to the one he had carved into his own chest that evening at the masquerade. 

"I'm sorry. About that." Marco said, as he saw Jean running his fingers over the scabbed-over knife wound. 

"I like it." Jean said, looking down at it, moving his eyes from his hummingbird tattoo to the carved mark. "Now my chest is...whatever its called. Where there is something on both sides." 

Marco let a small laugh exit his nose as Jean crunched his face up in thought. He lifted his empty glass to his lips, then looked at it disapproving when he realized there was no more liquid in it. 

Marco moved to him, filling up the glass again. 

"How old are you?" Jean asked, as he drank from his replenished glass, and Marco smiled. 

"How old do you think I am?"

Jean didn't know. He was older than himself, definently. He could just tell. Somewhere between his age and Erwin's, probably. Erwin had to be at least 38, maybe 40. 

"32." Jean guessed.

Marco hummed, smiling. "Close. 34. And you?"

"Twenty....uh....six. Yeah." Jean replied, thinking about it. 

Marco snorted. "Aww. Just a baby."

"No, you're an just old man."

Marco smiled, watching Jean sway on his feet as he drank more. "Maybe you should take a seat. I told you, this stuff will get you fucked up fast." 

Jean stuck his tongue out. "Maybe YOU should. I'm not drunk. I'm just getting started."

The blonde took a couple steps forward, smashing his lips into Marco's, knocking the glass from the taller man's hand and sending the expensive crystal drinkware to the ground with a shatter. They paid it no mind though, as Jean pressed Marco's back into the cold steel of the fridge, his hands wrapping around the larger man's wrists as he held him tightly against the appliance. Marco let out a small growl as he was restrained, a mix of suprise and hot arousal flooding his body. Jean was strong. Marco had learned that when they had first fought, but now even in his drunken state, being pinned down by him, he could see his lean muscles flexing and feel the strength in his arms as he held him.

"You're so fucking sexy, I'm going to pin your filthy Guido ass to the floor and fuck you all night." 

Marco's mouth fell open and his cheeks reddened at the blatant ethnic slur, then he laughed. "Fuck you and your hot skinny little ass, you goddamn Whiteflagger. I'll be a corpse before you shove anything up my ass." 

Jean smiled, shoving his knee between Marco's thighs and clenching his hands so tightly around the elder man's wrists he was sure it was going to leave bruises. Marco's eyes rolled back at the pain and the pleasure. 

"I'm going to shove my cock so far up your ass you'll be crying like a bitch in heat, you slutty Wop." 

"Do men from your countries even have cocks, you Frenchy bast--" 

Marco's offensive comeback was cut off as Jean yanked him away from the refrigerator over a few feet to the long wooden kitchen table, grabbing coconut oil that was so conveniently sitting out on the counter as he went. He bent the older man over the table and slammed his face down roughly, twisting his arm behind his back as he leaned over him, easily sliding his pants down to the ground. Marco was a bit stunned, but let Jean take his place on top of him, lacing his fingers through his hair, forcefully turning his head to the side and kissing him, Marco's cock swelling as Jean took control. 

"Mm-Jean." Marco felt himself whisper as the blonde assaulted his mouth. Jean pulled his hand away from The elder man's curly locks as he worked his own pajama pants off, slicking two of his fingers up in the coconut oil. Marco groaned as he felt Jean's body against him, his nipple piercings rubbing against his back, then he felt Jean's fingers slowly enter him and he cried out. 

"Nnh, aah-oh, Jean!" 

"Yes...do you like that?" Jean asked, licking up Marco's back as he continued to finger him, plunging in and out roughly. The larger man shook as Jean curled his fingers, rubbing up against the larger man's prostate expertly, making him shake under his hold and scream out his name. 

"Jean! Aah! Oh my god, Jean!" 

It was perfect, amazing and completely out of character as sweat ran down Marco's face and Jean slammed his body into the table, maintaining his hold on his arm. He knew that Marco could have easily broken out at any time, it wasn't a tight hold, and The King of Clubs was much stronger than he, but he let the younger man pin him to the table, slipping a third finger in, stretching him, slipping around inside him while he screamed out in pleasure. 

"Mmm. Such a slutty body." Jean cooed. "I bet no one else has seen you like this. Look at your cock, dripping all over the floor. So fucking messy." Marco blushed as Jean bit into his shoulder. "I'm going to ravage you now. Over and over, all night long." Jean whispered sensually, running his face up against the elder man's, kissing behind his ear. "I want to see you cry." 

Marco snarled, grinning hungrily. "Fuck you, Blackfoot. Like hell I'll ever cry from your tiny French dick." 

Jean smiled, releasing his hold on Marco's arms, and instead lacing one hand in the dark locks and gripping painfully onto one of his thick hips, he slid in, inch by inch, the larger man groaning and keening as he was filled up for the first time in his life. 

"I'll be so happy to prove you wrong." The blonde whispered, before pulling out then slamming back in, rocking Marco into the table roughly, the elder man letting out a pleasured scream of Jean's name. 

\--

"Help me forget." The request was soft, whispered from between Armin's needy pink lips.

Erwin's brain was foggy with the request, his heart pounding in this throat. He pressed his lips into Armin's, digging his hands roughly into the smaller man's exposed hipbones.

His hands moved from his hips to roam all over the smaller man, and Armin let out soft, sweet whimpers at Erwin's soft caress. 

"Erwin, please." He gasped out. "I want you inside me." 

It was a bold request that made Erwin's jaw nearly drop. He could think of so many reasons to say no. They'd just met. Everything that had just happened. Levi was downstairs. The age gap. He had a hundred legitimate reasons, but all that tumbled from his lips was "No." 

The smaller man looked at him, a blush of embarrassment appearing on his cheeks and the light in his eyes fading at the rejection. 

"Right. Sorry. I shouldn't have asked." He murmured as he backed away, beginning to button up his shirt. His downcast eyes said one thing- I'll never make that mistake again. 

Erwin's stomach clenched as he read Armin's face. He didn't want this, not tonight. He wanted Armin when he could spend all night with him and take his time, and not be worried about a thing. Not after the events of the day, not when he needed to be focus on what attack would come next. But he didn't want to lose Armin either.

"Wait. Don't go." Erwin said, reaching out. His large hand scooped around Armin's thin waist, yanking him close. Armin flopped down on Erwin's chest, his golden hair spreading out across it angelically. 

"You don't want this. Don't pity me." He pushed Erwin's arm away from him, suddenly way more annoyed then he should have been. 

He climbed out of bed, digging through his go bag, he grabbed a pair of clothes before leaving the bedroom. He got a few hallways down and snuck into a vacant bedroom, dropping Erwin's large shirt to the floor, he pulled on his pair of black skinny jeans and a pullover hoodie boasting the name of some expensive brand that Jean had bought him for Christmas. 

He made his way back out into the hallway when he was finished. There were staircases and hallways going every which direction, he felt like he was in Hogwarts. He obviously wasn't sure where he was going, but he just needed to be alone. 

He heard heavy footsteps in the hallway behind him and heard his name being called, so he hurriedly ran up another curved flight of stairs which took him to another wing of the house. The area he entered seemed much darker than the wing he had been in previously. He pulled out his cell phone, which he had been lucky enough to grab before he left the room, and used the flashlight to find his way in the long hallway. The windows were covered in heavy draperies, blocking out the natural moonlight and there were no pictures on the walls. All the doors to the rooms were standing open, and they were completely empty. It gave him a bit of a haunted feeling, and he wished he hadn't come up to this area. 

There was one room at the end of the hall with the door closed, so Armin squeaked it open, shining his light around it. There was military memorabilia, photographs, weapons, as well as a lot of other family heirlooms, trunks full of clothes, a bassinet, a grandfather clock, and a jewelry box full of beautiful jewelry, dusted over and ancient, forgotten to time. He wandered about in the room, looking at the vast array of items. 

There was a stack of pictures on top of a trunk, and Armin picked them up, looking through them. They were worn on the corners and folded over, as if they had been well loved for a time. They were generally of the same people, a group of three, all in military regalia. There was a tall blonde man with a mustache, and a very short blonde woman, and a slender blonde with a serious face. Armin gaped as he studied the picture, realizing the one blonde was Erwin, many years prior. He had no idea Erwin had been in the military. Not like he had asked, but it seemed like something someone would bring up at one time or another. 

Hanging on the wall were two cases with folded flags in them, representing fallen soldiers. Armin wondered who they had been, and why they were hidden up here in disgrace. 

He continued nosing around. He tripped over something broad and tall, then stood up, shining his light on it. It was an oblong wooden box, an old coffin, filled with a bag, weapons, cigarettes and all sorts of things hauled home from a military deployment. He covered his mouth in horror, wondering why it was there, but at the same time he did not want to know. 

He turned and ran. Down the stairs the same way he came, tripping and tumbling, falling smack on his back and lying face up, staring at the dark ceiling. Hot tears squeezed out of his eyes as he laid there, remembering the night. His body shook as he cried, draping his arm over his face to soak up the tears in his sweatshirt. Everything was so entirely fucked up. And he was alone. 

Then all of the sudden, he was no longer alone. Erwin was there. Without speaking, he lifted the small man from his space on the floor, pulling him a few feet over to a wall, where he sat him on top of his lap. Armin leaned up against the larger man's chest crying, while Erwin ran his fingers though the younger man's soft, blonde locks, kissing him gently on the forehead. 

Erwin gripped Armin's chin, pulling the man up into a deep kiss. Their noses rubbed together, the smaller man's tears wetting Erwin's cheeks as he kissed him. Erwin gently lifted off the smaller man's clothes, leaving him naked in his lap, before removing his own boxers. He held the small man, kissing him gently, their erections rubbing together in Erwin's lap. 

"Er-win." Armin sounded out in a broken sob. "Please." 

Erwin nodded, wrapping one hand around Armin's slender throat, he licked his opposite fingers, then moved them behind the younger man. He began to gently and quickly finger him, Armin's stiff body opening up generously, longing for Erwin's touch. 

"Mmm...Erwin...faster..." Armin gulped, tears still streaming down his face as Erwin's two fingers moved inside of him, slowly curling, brushing gently up against his prostate, Armin throwing his head back in a scream that echoed around the hall. 

Erwin wanted to tell him to hold his voice, but at the same time it was amazing to hear his precious, choked sobs coming out from the way he was holding him. He slipped a third finger in, and Armin shuddered against him, his small member dripping precum generously on his stomach. "Aaah...Erwin." 

The larger man smiled as he fingered him a bit more, watching Armin's member twitch and feeling his hole flutter around his fingers. 

"I think you're ready now." He murmerred, as he gripped Armin around the waist and positioned him above his thick, dripping cock. 

Armin nodded as Erwin began to lower him slowly down on his member, Armin leaning back and a small moan coming from the back of his throat. "Aah, yes..." He whimpered, tears dripping down his face. 

Erwin was sheathed all the way inside of him and smiled as he held the smaller boy tight, running his fingers through his hair as he began to roll his hips up, sliding in and out of him. 

"Aah....Erwin!" Armin screamed, not holding back his voice at all. Erwin loved the sound of it, the screams encouraging him to buck even harder, Armin's small hands wrapping around his thick biceps. 

"Armin. Fuck. You're so beautiful." 

Armin's back arched, and Erwin wrapped his arms around him, large hands running down his sweat slicked back. He thrusted into him further, loving the sound of the smaller man moaning. 

"Aaah...Erwin...You can....harder..." 

Erwin growled as he thrust harder, leaning forward and kissing the younger man on his open mouth. It took Armin a second as his mouth was hanging open in ecstasy, drool dripping from his lower lip, but he responded, latching his lips against the larger man's and kissing him passionantly. Erwin switched positions, laying Armin down flat on his back and hovering over him, the smaller man instantly wrapped his legs around his waist, digging his heels into the man's back. 

He slipped back in with a rough thrust, slamming directly into his prostate and Armin keened, his hands finding their way into Erwin's hair, yanking the similar blonde strands as their lips smashed together sloppily. This only urged Erwin on more as he gripped Armin's thighs tightly in his hands and thrusted, every thrust bringing a sweet, passionate cry, unable to be strangled even by his kisses. 

"More...aah! Erwin! ERWIN!" His voice was breathy and tears leaked from the corners of his eyes as he screamed. The elder man growled, low and possessively as he dug his fingers into Armin's thighs and snapped his hips foreward, moving into Armin so deeply the smaller man momentarily blacked out. 

When he came to a few moments later Erwin was stroking his face in concern, his finger running over the man's lower lip while he apologized profusely. "I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you?"" 

The smaller blonde let out a breathy chuckle. "No..aah, please don't stop. I'm so--so close..." 

Erwin smiled as he thrust back in to Armin's wet hole, jamming into his prostate mercilessly and making the younger man yell out with a choked scream. He rammed into it over and over, Armin's fingernails tearing flesh from his back. "Yes, yes! Erwin! Oh my god!" 

Armin's back arched and he came, splashing his cum between he and Erwin's bodies with a groan. Erwin growled as Armin tightened around him, milking him through his orgasm as he spilled stream after stream of warm cum inside his lover, Armin letting out one last strangled moan of the larger man's name. 

Armin was completely limp in his arms as Erwin pulled out, slowly lifting Armin from the ground and traversing the hallways back to his bedroom. 

\-- 

The smaller man woke up and thrashed around violently when he realized he was surrounded in water, but then found himself in a warm bath, leaning back against Erwin's chest. Erwin was gently running his soft strands of hair through his fingers, and holding the younger man softly in his arms. 

"It's okay." Erwin murmered, running his fingers through Armin's damp hair. The blonde smiled softly and leaned back against him. 

The larger man ran his finger over a tattoo on Armin's back. It was a beautiful watercolor tattoo of a wolf that sat directly in between his shoulder blades, grey and white, the thick fuzzy tail wrapping around the alert wolf which faced forward, the watercolor style tattoo spattered, running outside the lines in a beautiful display. 

"For some reason, I never imagined you having any tattoos." The larger man murmered, running his finger over it. 

Armin smiled. "I got matching tattoos with my lover when I was younger. We got tattoos of the animals that we thought personified each other the best, I guess." 

"What are you?" 

"A hummingbird." 

"Why? I'd pin you as...a fox, maybe. Or a dolphin." 

Armin smiled. "I have changed a bit since then. But hummingbirds are amazing creatures. Fast, smart, and although they're small, they still can defend what they love when they need to." 

Erwin frowned. "Dosen't it bother you, to still have something on your skin that reflects an old lover?" 

"No. We may not be lovers anymore. But he's still a very important person to me." 

Erwin mulled the words over as Armin laid his head back on his chest, slowly falling asleep. 

\-- 

Eren's eyes fluttered open. He looked to the left, then to the right, slowly looking around the room. Moonlight streamed in from the large floor to ceiling window, the curtains were wide open giving a view out to the garden outside. Levi's head was next to him on the chase, his brows furrowed as if still angry, even in his dreams. Eren couldn't help but smile. He lifted his hand up to the large gash in his shoulder. He ran his fingers over the suture. The stitches was still there, pulling the skin together, but the wound was completely closed. All of them were. He had somehow healed. He sat up quietly, not wanting to wake Levi who was sleeping so soundly next to him. He gently ran his fingers through the fine black strands, thinking, his brows knitting together. Something...someone, had awoken him. 

He got up soundlessly from the chaise, pulling his pajama pants up a bit higher and looking out the window. There was nothing. But then he heard it again. The nearly non-existent sound that woke him. It was a 'tink', the sound of a grappling hook being thrown up against the wall of the property, scraping down the side of the wall when it failed to catch. They had company. 

He scurried to the kitchen and opened up the small metal box in the pantry, slamming his fist on the silent alarm button. Nothing happened, but after all, that was why it was the silent alarm. 

"I know you're probably about 9 inches deep into that adorable blonde cinnamon roll, Erwin," Eren thought, "But you sure as hell better get out of bed now." 

Eren moved out the back kitchen door to a large kennel, where two beautiful Dobermans sat by the gate ready to run after the intruders. Eren went to the gate, giving them each a treat. "Alright, Light, Riyuzaki, its all you. Go get them." He said as he swung the gate open and the dogs shot off into the night. 

Eren hurried back inside, locking the door behind him. He pulled a gun out from a drawer in the kitchen, checking the slide before he went to stand in front of the window again, looking out across the garden, listening to the ticking of his watch and counting the seconds, hearing the Dobermans barking in the far distance. 

Shapes appeared, sneaking across the large expanse of the garden moving toward the house. He listened to his watch continue to tick, gripping the weapon in his hand tighter. It was almost time. 

Then he heard it. 

A brief pop- the familiar sound of a sniper rifle, followed by silence. A man in the garden dropped to the ground, and the other startled attackers looked around for where the gunshot had come from. There was a second gunshot, felling another attacker. 

Eren smiled. 


	9. I Feel LIke I've Misplaced Something Important

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suits hit 50 subscribers this week. That's a super huge deal to me and I'm so overwhelmed. Thank you so much for supporting me and my writing.
> 
> Reading and responding to all your comments makes my day and I love hearing from you! I'm so thrilled you're enjoying the story.

Marco drifted in and out of a light sleep, resting comfortably against the lush pillows in his king sized bed, silver light of the full moon shining peacefully in through the large bay window. Jean lay on top of him snoring softly, his head resting gently against Marco's bare chest, fingers loosely intertwined with his lover's. 

The larger man's entire body was wracked with a fierce, pulsing pain, from his hamstrings all the way up to his shoulders. He groaned as he shifted a bit under Jean's long, lanky body, trying to get comfortable- with little luck. 

"Damn you, Jean." The brunette thought with a grin as he squeezed the smaller man's hand, gently running his fingers through the sleeping figure's wild blonde hair, still damp from his second shower.

The younger man had bent him over the kitchen table and mercilessly pounded orgasm after orgasm out of him. He wasn't entirely sure how many times he lost consciousness during it all, but Jean didn't stop- he continued relentlessly pistioning into Marco's swollen prostate, driving release after release out of him like he didn't even know was possible. Jean's endurance was amazing and his dominant, sadistic streak was absolutely tantalizing. His fingers tore through Marco's hair while he yanked His arm behind his back, pressing him to the table. Sweat dripped off Jean's stubbled chin and rolled down Marco's muscled, shaking back. 

It had finished with Jean pulling a fifth and final orgasm from him. He had Marco's balls tightly gripped in one large, calloused hand while his other hand milked his captive's purpled member, squeezing the last few drops of cum from the tip. Tears streamed down his lover's freckled face in a mix of pain, overstimulation, and the most mind blowing arousal he had ever felt. 

The brunette shivered at the memory, goosebumps raising on his arms as he remembered Jean's long fingers jerking and pulling his cock, driving him through each release while he spoke absolutly filthy words in his ear. He wasn't sure if it was Jean's nature to be such a dom, or if he was only like that when he was drunk. In any event, he needed more of it. He loved seeing Jean's strength.

The elder man's fingers ran down the sleeping man's slender, tattooed arm. He was completely different than he had been just a few hours before, ramming into him like a madman, now he looked young and soft and defenseless, sleeping in his arms and trusting him wholly. Marco smiled, snuggling the warm body into his chest. "I'll pay you back for what you did to my asshole, info broker. Count on it." He murmured, before kissing him softly on the head.

He had just closed his eyes when he heard the back door to the bungalow squeak open. He froze. His one arm gripped Jean, pulling him closer to his chest, and his other hand slipped under the pillow, feeling the grip of the loaded gun he kept there. 

He heard glass crunch in the kitchen as the intruders stepped on the broken drinkware they had made a mess of in the kitchen last night. They were making their way from the back of the house toward the master bedroom. He held Jean close while he leveled his gun at the door, hearing the strangers step on a particular squeaky spot in the living room, right in front of the bedroom door. 

His head jerked to the side as he heard a loud, distinct gunshot outside. One pop, that echoed around the property, alarming and unnerving. There was a brief six second pause, followed by a repeated shot.

Jean jumped as the sound of the large firearm awoke him, a loud gasp leaving his lips, legs twisting in the covers as he thrashed wildly in alarm. Marco grasped him tightly, pressing him to his chest as he backed up against the headboard, his eyes still focused on the bedroom door. "Close your eyes, Jean." Marco whispered, as their door slowly squeaked open.

\--

Armin awoke to a gunshot. He tangled in the sheets in panic as he reached across the large bed to grab ahold of Erwin. The right side of the bed was still warm, but empty.

His breath caught in his throat as he quickly sat up, looking around in fear. The room was freezing, and he realized as he looked at the large balcony door that it was open a crack. He peered at it, and out on the deck he saw Erwin, laying nearly flat against the wood of the patio in just a pair of sweats, a large rifle pressed into his shoulder. The gun was obviously military issue, propped up on a sturdy metal tripod, a long oblong suppressor screwed on the end of the barrel and a large scope mounted on top. 

The rifle fired again, recoiling into Erwin's strong shoulder. He looked through the scope with singular focus as he ejected the empty shell and loaded a new cartridge. 

Armin gaped. Erwin was sniping. He was a sniper. He had known Erwin was in the military from the regalia he had found when he was in the attic...but he wasn't expecting anything like this. This was so...elite. Amazing. Suprising. Something. 

He reeled at the thought, watching the elder man's bare back tense as he fired again, the gun recoiling into his body. Far below, his target dropped to the ground, a single shot to the temple. 

Armin gasped as he noticed the men below in the garden. There were dozens of them, creeping through the flowers and tall bushes like ants at a picnic. The small blonde jumped out of bed, rushing to slip into his discarded clothes as fast as possible. He yanked his shirt on and wiggled into his skinny jeans, accidently losing his balance and flopping over on the ground like a fish. 

Erwin heard the noise and looked over his shoulder, seeing Armin hurriedly getting up from the ground and zipping himself into his pants. He motioned for the smaller man to come to him. Armin oblighed happily, dropping to the ground and crawling out on to the balcony next to the soldier, laying up against him wide eyed. 

"Stay by my side." Erwin said quietly. "Don't go where I can't see you, okay? I'll keep you safe." Armin nodded, his hand twisting in the larger man's pant leg as Erwin lined up another shot. "Don't worry." He continued, staring unblinking into the scope before squeezing the trigger with unwavering precision. "Everything is going to be okay."

\--

The gunshot awakened Levi, who immediately reached out to his right side, his hand grabbing for the weapon he always kept available on his night side stand. His grabby hand only met open air, and he realized he was not at home, he was resting uncomfortably by the decorated chaise in Erwin's living room. He remembered now. 

He blinked quickly, clearing the sleep from his eyes as he ran his hand over the place where Eren had been sleeping hours before. Eren was gone. The silver-eyed man panicked, his breath catching in his throat. Eren was missing, there was gunfire, and he was unarmed. 

He jumped up from the floor, stumbling and grabbing his hip, as sleeping in the funny position had made his healing wound ache. He had nearly forgotten about it, god damnit. He cursed as he limped across the room to the huge floor to ceiling window. The curtain was open, bright light from the full moon lighting up the room and illuminating the garden. 

He looked out across the lush, thick greenery and saw men stealthy moving toward the large estate. His hand gripped the curtain in alarm as he evaluated his options. They were pretty slim, at this point. 

Suddenly, an arm wrapped around his waist and a large hand covered his mouth. Levi fought against the hold, until the hand on his waist moved to his shoulder, and he felt the long, warm fingers run down his arm and a soft hand grabbing his. Caramel skin reflected in the silver moonlight and Levi breathed a deep sigh. 

Eren. 

He allowed the younger man to hold him just for a moment, their fingers tangling, Eren's hand over his lips curling as his fingers gently touched Levi's lips. 

It was much too slow and sensual for the occasion, but the ravenette's eyes still slid closed as he felt the younger man's soft touch. Eren's thumb dragged across his bottom lip, their fingers intertwined, and the brunette's slim, warm body pressed up against his back, keeping him safe and warm. Levi's mind slipped away, as he started thinking terrible, horrible thoughts- about how much he had always wanted to let Eren touch him like this. 

Eren gently slipping two fingers between Levi's lips and into his mouth. Levi gave the two digits a gentle suckle, running his tongue over them while the brunette slowly pushed them in and out of this throat in a deliberately suggestive manner. 

The smaller man unintentionally let out a soft groan as he imagined himself on his knees for Eren, his lips stretched around the King of Heart's no doubt impressive cock. The brunette's long fingers would be gently tugging at his fine raven hair as he bobbed up and down, working Eren's large member down his throat until he choked, his small hands wrapped around the base, pulling it and jerking it. Eren would be softly moaning his name, telling him how good he was making him feel and how he was so close to cumming. It was a vulgar thought, and most definently a lie- since it would be Levi's first time, he would have no idea how to manage a dick in his mouth and would be terrible for sure, and Eren had no doubt had much more experienced men and women give him head before. 

But still- Levi wanted it. So much. He imagined his back pressed to the chaise, naked and bathed in silver moonlight, his legs wrapped around Eren's slender waist. The larger man would pin one wrist to the couch beside his head, and use his other hand to gently run his fingers down the smaller man's face as he kissed him deeply, slowly thrusting into him with languid, deep strokes. Levi's fingers would tangle in Eren's shaggy locks and every thrust would bring a broken, breathy cry of the brunette's name from his lips as he pleasured him slowly and perfectly, Eren kissing his neck and lavishing him with sweet words. 

Levi growled at himself. He hated the thoughts running through his mind, yet clung to them. They were the fantasies, the dreams, hopes, he had held onto for years. Eren. Only Eren. He knew he would never be a good lay for the King of Hearts, and it made him feel weak knowing it. He knew he would never be the first man that Eren had held, even though he could have been. All he knew was that for as long as he lived, there would never be anyone except for Eren. He would never escape. 

The ravenette rolled his head back, resting it against Eren's chest. Eren was fully dressed in jeans, a long sleeved shirt and heavy boots, his hair tied half back in a ponytail. 

"Hey, you." Eren greeted the smaller man with a soft smile. It's Erwin. The sniper, I mean." 

"Right. Oh. Good." Levi felt relief run through him as he heard the news, but then his brows furrowed as he looked at the brunette, who hours before had nearly perished in his arms. "Why are you out of bed? You literally almost died a few hours ago." 

Levi whirled around, facing Eren, teal eyes locking with silver. Eren took a step forward, pinning Levi's back to the window and putting his arms on either side of his head to prevent his escape. The brunette smiled playfully. "I was watching over you. And someone had to wake Erwin." He said, inclining his head toward the tallest balcony in the estate, where the invisible sniper was holed up. "Besides. I'm all healed up now. Whatever was in that serum really did a number." He pulled town the collar of his shirt, revealing the closed up wound. 

Levi ghosted his fingers over the wound. "Wow." He murmered. "Amazing." 

"You're amazing, Lee." Eren said, slipping his hand into Levi's pants, looking at the reddened, pulsing stab wound. "You don't have to pretend like this doesn't hurt, you know. It's okay." 

Levi reached out, grabbing Eren's wrist as he tried to venture farther into his pants.

"Please don't, Eren." 

The larger man grasped Levi's chin, pulling his gaze up to stare into his eyes. "Why?" 

"Eren...you..." Levi stuttered, trying to figure out what exactly to say. "I'm afraid. When you touch me like this, and look at me with your big huge eyes like that. You know how you can make me feel." 

"What do you mean, Lee?" Eren shifted, still gripping Levi's chin as the smaller man held his wrist. 

"Eren...I...I don't want to be just another one of your victims." 

Eren slipped easily out of Levi's hold, sliding his arm around the smaller man's waist as he gently pressed their foreheads together. "Stupid." He smiled softly. "I've loved you, only you, forever, Lee." 

"Eren-" 

"Look at me, Lee. See me. See ME." Their eyes locked again, and there was a short pause as they drank in the view of each other. "You're not my victim, Lee." The brunette whispered, running his finger gently down the smaller man's face. "It's the opposite. You've captured me. I'm your victim. I have been, for all of my life. I need you, Lee. Don't push me away." 

With that, Eren grabbed the King of Spades gently under the thighs and lifted him, and pressing his back against the window he smashed their lips together. Levi's back arched and his mouth opened, willingly allowing Eren's tongue inside as he wrapped his small arms around the brunette's shoulders and gingerly wrapped his legs around his hips. Eren supported his weight effortlessly as he pressed his body against Levi's, the smaller man letting out a quiet moan. 

He finally felt Eren's body against him, Eren's arms holding him, his tongue claiming his mouth wholly. It was perfect. 

Levi's fingers yanked at Eren's thick chestnut locks, and hungry grunts left Eren's throat as he devoured the smaller man's mouth, clenching his thighs with his large hands. His lips travelled down the ivory skin of Levi's shoulder, leaving posessive, red bites that made Levi moan wantonly. 

"Eren." Levi choked out as gripped Eren's hair, intoxicated by the younger man's touch. 

"Yes, Lee?" Eren growled, his lips not leaving the crook of the smaller man's neck. 

"I--aah! I have to tell you something." 

Eren pressed Levi against the window and gripped his chin, slamming their lips together again. He drank in the smaller man's kiss, goosebumps rising across the ravenette's bare chest as he felt his lover's smooth skin against him. 

"Eren." 

"Tell me, Lee." Eren responded, supporting Levi with one hand , the other hand sliding to the back of his head, gripping the fine ebony strands as they kissed desperately. 

Eren needed more. He needed to make up for lost time. He wanted every single second he could take, in case this was just a dream that would fade as soon as he woke up. 

"Eren. I wanted to tell you that-" 

A gunshot roused them from their moment, and they remembered what a hazardous situation they were in. Eren growled as he gazed out the window, eyes focusing in on the men in the garden- the men who were interrupting his time with Levi. He was going to murder them all for that. 

"We need to go." Levi said, his fingers slipping from Eren's hair. 

"What did you want to tell me?" 

"I'll tell you later. After this is over." 

"Are you sure? You don't need to tell me now?" Eren nuzzled into Levi's neck, giving him one last bite. 

"Mmmh Eren-" The ravenette moaned, throwing his head back as Eren's teeth dug into the sensitive skin on his shoulder. "Aah...I'll tell you later. I'd rather not rush it."

"OK." Eren smiled, gently lowering Levi to the floor and kissing him on top of the head. "I'm looking forward to it." He handed Levi the gun he had found in the kitchen. "Now, let's go kick some ass, yeah?"

Levi smiled as he followed Eren out the kitchen door into the yard. He had rehearsed the line he had wanted to say. He was ready. After 10 years of fighting to get away from Eren, he was ready to tell him. They would have a lot to work through- differences, issues, mistakes. But Eren would be his. Only his. 

Eren Yaeger. I love you. 

\--

"Keep your eyes closed."

"I'm not a child, Marco." Marco held Jean's hand as he pulled him through the pile of bodies in front of the bedroom door. There had been three men in the house, and the King of Clubs had been lucky to get the drop on them. The brunette was still weak at the knees, his entire body numb with pain but he was worried most about Jean, and what was going to happen next. 

Jean stood in the hallway, pulling himself into some clothes Marco had lent him. The jeans were too large and the shirt was a bit long, but it was much better than being naked. 

"I'm going outside." Marco announced, limping over to a hall closet while he pulled a tee shirt and athletic pants on. He produced a large, threatening looking automatic rifle out of the closet, checked the magazine, then slung it over his back. He then pulled a small, simple black handgun off the top shelf.

"This is for emergencies." He said, carefully handing the gun to Jean. "You won't have to use it, I'll be right back. But just in case." 

"Please. Take me with you." Jean said quietly. "Don't leave me here alone." 

"No. If you come with me outside I'm not sure if I'll be able to protect you." 

Jean reached forward, gripping onto Marco's arm. "I can help. Marco, please." 

"Jean. You'll be safer here. Please, just stay. I don't want to worry about you." 

"But-" 

"Jean!" Marco's voice was firmer that he wanted it to be as his impatience grew, and Jean pulled his hand away at the sudden inflection. "I can't protect both you and I out there. Stay in here. You'll be fine." 

Jean bit into his bottom lip, not wanting to argue with the visibly worked up man any longer. He had forgotten momentarily who he was with. For a bit, he had just been Marco, but he was the King of Clubs now, and Jean needed to stay out of the way. 

"Fine." The blonde whispered. 

Marco moved behind Jean, taking the smaller man's hands in his own. "Here's how you hold a handgun, okay? Firm grip. Domanant hand here, see? Don't cross your thumbs, I think that's how this happened last time." He said, running his finger gently over the large cuts in Jean's hand. "It's safe here. You'll be fine. I'll be right back."

Jean nodded, still clenching the handgun in his palms exactly as Marco had put it there. 

"I'll be right back." He reiterated, before he went out the back door, closing it quietly behind him. 

\-- 

The gunfire had multiplied by the time Marco got outside. Eren and Levi had appeared in the garden, Levi holding a handgun and firing with precision from behind a large tree, Eren using a sharp dagger to stealthily move through the hedges and rows to slaughter his targets. 

The intruders converged on them, beginning to fight and fire back, their element of surprise lost. The night was lit up with gunfire, explosions and yelling as Erwin continued to fire from his perch. Marco took a firm stance in the middle of the garden and began firing off his automatic rifle. The noise was loud and startling as the rapid gunfire lit up the greenery, Eren and Levi dropping to the ground as the weapon hew the attackers in half, spattering blood and body parts all over the beautiful garden display. 

Eren strayed away from Marco and Levi in the main area of the garden, following after Light's barking, which was coming from another area of the house. He followed the sound around the corner of the house to where the garden backed up into a thick forest of tall trees. 

"Light?" He called out for the dog. 

\-- 

The fight was coming to an end. There were no attackers left standing, and the garden was painted in blood, guts and carnage. Marco didn't even want to know how they were going to clean everything up. He supposed it would probably be better to just burn it all and move. He was deep in thought about where they would move to when there was the unexpected noise of gunfire behind him, coming from inside his bungalow. It was one gunshot at first, and he wondered if Jean misfired the handgun he had given him, it wouldn't be uncommon. Then there were four more shots. 

Marco's eyes widened as he gripped his weapon in his hand, his heart rate skyrocketing as he bolted back to his bungalow. "Jean!?" He yelled as he burst in the door. 

The entire kitchen was covered in blood. There were two bodies on the floor, heavily armed soldiers like the rest that had been around the property. One had a bullet to the head and to the throat, and the other was still alive, with two shots to the chest. He was panting heavily, working to cover his wounds with his gloved hands. 

Marco looked quickly around the house. There was blood smeared across the floor in ugly, obvious drag marks, and multiple boot prints though the blood, showing that at least three more soldiers had been present in the home. Dropped on the floor next to the entrance was a bloody crowbar. 

Marco stormed back into the kitchen, picking up the live soldier with one hand, lifting him into the air. "Where's Jean?" He growled. 

The man laughed a short wheeze of a laugh, then spit a wad of blood and saliva into Marco's face. The King of Clubs snarled, and gripping the man tightly he threw him full force out the kitchen window, the man tumbling head over feet, his blood spattering all over the front walkway as he died in the front yard. 

The brunette called out for Jean again, even though he could already tell exactly what happened. Jean was gone. 

\--

Eren followed Light's barking to the far edge of the property. It was dark, much darker than the other parts of the property, due to the tall trees blocking out the sky. He pulled out his cell phone, flicking on the flashlight. 

"Light?" He called out for the Doberman, who came bounding up to his side. 

Eren petted the dog's large head. "Good boy. What were you barking at? There's nothing over here but some big tall trees." 

The dog whined, and Eren pursed his lips, shining his flashlight around. "Where is it, boy?" 

There was a gunshot, and Eren felt a burning sensation that went through his gut, exploding out the other side. He looked down and realized he had been shot. The cell phone fell from his hand. 

"Fuck, really. Not again." He murmured. He fell to his knees, holding his enormous, gaping stomach wound. Blood and large, meaty intestines found their way into his hands and his eyes bulged. He was holding his own intestines. How. And what. And how. He flopped back on his back, overcome with shock, disgust and pain. 

A large figure appeared standing over him, looking more like a shadow than a human from the strange angle of the light. Eren tilted his head, trying to squint through the pain to make out his attacker. 

"Who are you?" 

The attacker didn't respond, but instead raised his weapon again. There was another gunshot, this time tearing though Eren's chest, exploding his thick skin, splintering his ribs, tearing apart layers of muscle, severing nerves and exploding organs. The brunette gasped as he looked down and saw his own internal organs exposed, blood weeping out of his chest onto the ground. Eren coughed up blood, working to cover the wounds with his hands, but there was more open space on his chest and stomach then there was actual intact flesh. His only question was...why was he still alive?

The stranger holding the large weapon just studied him, watching him cough and awkwardly scoop his organs back to their original positions. 

The man looked at his watch, then looked back at Eren. 

Suddenly steam started rising from the brunette's wounds as the blood started coagulating and the wounds slowly started to knit themselves back together. 

"Interesting." The attacker said, a satisfied look on his face.

Eren looked at the steam rising from his body, wide eyed, having no idea what in the hell was going on. He had never steamed ever before in his life that he had known of, and wasn't exactly sure what it meant. He looked from his wounds to the man, who was looking at him thoughtfully. 

"What do you want?" Eren asked. 

There was no response, but the man lifted the gun again, pointing it at Eren's face. He pulled the trigger, and that was all that Eren remembered. 

\--

Marco came storming out of his bungalow carrying a crowbar. He approached the soldier he had thrown out the window, and lifted the crowbar, violently bashing his face over and over again, until his head was nothing but a bloody pulp on the sidewalk. Levi watched from a distance, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. 

"What the hell?" He asked after Marco was finished desecrating the man's body. 

Marco breathed a controlled breath out of his nose, smearing the spattered blood across his face with his sleeve. "It's Jean. He's gone." 

"Gone where?" 

Marco's eyes flashed in anger and Levi took a step back, knowing Marco's nature when he got upset. "I don't know" Came out as a whisper through his clenched teeth. "They took him away. He's hurt. I shouldn't have left him alone." 

Levi's brows furrowed at the troubling news. "Well, it just happened, right? Let's look around. They could still be here, Marco." 

The larger man nodded, and the two hurried to look around the property together. The garden was scattered with bodies and bullet casings, and Riyuzaki was sitting on the edge of the greenery, sniffing a corpse. 

No one was to be found in the garden, so they extended their search around the side of the house, moving toward the large forest. 

Light's eyes were visible in the darkness from a distance, and Marco called to him. "Hey, you. What are you doing out here?" He whistled for the dog, who was laying in one place, whining. When he didn't move from his position, but continued lamenting, the two advanced towards it.

They were nearly to the canine's position when Levi suddenly slipped, splashing back down in a huge warm puddle.

"What the fuck is that?" Marco asked, as Levi hurried to get up, his hand landing on something wet and rubbery. 

"Shit, fuck!" Levi's voice went about two octaves higher as his hand squished down on a piece of human intestine. 

"Fuck, is that intestine?" 

"Motherfucker! It's blood! THIS IS A KIDNEY!!" 

"Fuck, Levi!" 

"Jesus H. Christ!!" 

"What the shitfuck!!" 

"GET IT OFF OF ME FOR FUCKS SAKE MARCO FUCKFUCKFUCK!!" Levi jumped up from the puddle of blood, tearing his shirt off, leaving his blood covered pants on only for the sake of normalcy. 

"What the actual fuck happened here?!?" Marco asked, looking at Light, as if he would give him an answer. The dog simply whined, laying at the corner of the puddle, nosing at a piece of cloth submerged in the warm liquid. 

Levi had backed off about 50 feet and was trying to pull his bloodied pants away from his skin (with little success.) Marco grimaced as he reached down, pulling the piece of cloth out of the puddle. He held it up, studying it. "Levi. I think you need to look at this." He said softly, looking at the cloth. 

Levi walked over, his pants rubbing together soggily. He peered at the piece of cloth in Marco's hand, and then turned his head away, swallowing thickly. 

"It's Eren's, isn't it." 

Levi nodded, drawing his lips into a thin line and rubbing his face with his hands in shock. Marco handed him the soaked piece of cloth and he clenched it in his fists. "Eren." He whispered, holding it to his lips. "No. You're not dead, you brat. You can't be. I still have something I need to tell you." 

\-- 

The two were still sitting by the large pile of blood and organs, Levi clenching what was left of Eren's shirt when Armin and Erwin found them. Erwin was carrying a large mag flashlight, and Riuzaki was trotting obediently behind him. As soon as Erwin saw the pile of blood he pulled Armin close to him, covering his eyes so he wouldn't see the disarray. "What is this?" Erwin said, looking it over. 

Jean and Levi both explain what happened. From Jean going missing, to finding Eren's body parts. 

"Jean is missing?" Armin pushed Erwin's hand away from his eyes, seeing the bloody mess for the first time and getting weak at the knees. "Where is he?" 

"We don't know, Armin. We'll find him." Marco answered. 

"Well if this is all that's left of Eren, how do we even know there is anything left of Jean?" Armin shrieked, pointing at the puddle. 

"Don't you dare say that." Levi growled, pointing his gun at Armin. "Eren's still alive. I know it." 

"Levi. Lower your weapon, oh my god." Erwin whispered, as Armin hid behind him, gripping onto his tee-shirt. "Everybody just calm down. We need to think." 

Suddenly, Armin's phone buzzed in his pocket. Armin pulled it out. "It's Jean. It's Jean!" He exclaimed. 

"Jean? Jean where are you?" Armin asked into the phone. 

A heavy, unfamiliar voice answered him. "Give the phone to Commander Erwin Smith."

Armin's brows furrowed as he pulled the phone away from his ear. "He's asking for Commander Erwin Smith. Is that you?" 

Erwin pursed his lips, reaching out for the phone. Armin handed it to him gingerly and Erwin held it out, putting it on speaker phone. "Who is this?"

The voice on the line chuckled. "That's no way to greet an old friend, now is it, commander?" The line was quiet for a moment while Erwin didn't respond. "What, don't remember me?" 

"Don't toy with me." Erwin said seriously, his face darkening. 

"Good old commander, same as always. You never change. So fucking serious...about the things that are important to you."

"Who is this?" 

"I currently represent Starwood Pharmaceuticals. But I'm a lot of things. Your angel of death. A ghost. Your worst nightmare. I'm the person who's going to make sure you pay for your sin, Commander." 

Erwin gritted his teeth. "No more riddles. Where are Jean and Eren?"

"Depends on which parts of them you're looking for." The man chuckled. "They're around. Literally. There are pieces of them around. I've heard the one with the tattoos is quite a bleeder. Fucked up the upholstery of one of my cars. I'll send you the bill." 

Marco growled, his hands balling into fists. The man on the line continued. "Wait until I get my hands on that little blonde piece it seems you've taken a fancy to. I'm salivating already- he looks like he'd have a pretty low pain tolerance. I'd like to make him scream." 

Erwin gripped Armin tight to his chest, now more thankful than anything he hadn't let him out of his sight that night. "You'll never touch him." 

The man chuckled again. "You always did have a thing about people that looked like you, didn't you Commander? That flyboy- Riener. Myself. Is it because you think you're hot as balls and just get tired of masturbating while looking in the mirror?" 

"Who are you?" Erwin asked again, his voice getting more firm. 

"That halfling you're snuggling- he looks a lot like Nanaba. Did you notice that? Is that coincidence, or guilt, Commander?"

Erwin's jaw dropped and there was a long silence before his voice squeaked out one word. ".....Mike?"

The man laughed. "Hello, Commander. Are you disappointed I'm not dead?" 

For one of the first times in his life, Erwin was absolutely speechless. "I...I...Mike, you're alive...." 

"Obviously, no thanks to you." 

"Mike...how?" Erwin stuttered. 

"I spent 16 years in a Teguan Prison Camp. Do you even know where that is, Commander? I suppose not. Because you were here, making ruckus with new friends, living up high society, pretending like your time as a soldier never happened. Not all of us came home." 

"Mike-" 

"I can't wait to find the most painful way to kill that little blonde bitch of yours. I'll have to think about it. Now that I've seen him, really seen him, I'm even more excited for it. I could cut him up into pieces, fuck him to death, or maybe I'll just burn him alive. So he knows exactly what it feels like...what you did to her. What you did to both of us."

"What happened on the Maria was an accident, Mike. I looked for you. For weeks. Your body was gone." 

"Blah blah blah." Mike said, boredly. "It doesn't matter now, does it? Not really. What matters now is I am alive, and I am going to so enjoy murdering everything you care about. Just like you did to me." 

"Where are Jean and Eren, Mike? They're not involved with this. They're just kids. Your problem is with me."

Mike laughed. "Didn't you just hear me? I am going to kill everything you care about, Erwin. EVERYTHING. And then, after all of it is over, don't worry. I'll put you out of your misery as well." 

"God damnit Mike, where are they?" Erwin practically yelled. 

"They're exactly where you should be, Commander."

The line went dead. 

Armin clung to Erwin's chest, terrified. Jean was missing. He had no idea who Mike was and why he was out to ruin Erwin, but in any event, he was scared shitless. 

Levi's eyebrows furrowed. "Who was that? Who's Mike? And what did all that mean? 

"Yeah. Where are they? What did he mean by 'they're where you should be?' Marco followed up.

Erwin swallowed thickly, clenching Armin's phone in his hand. 

"Where should you be, Erwin?" Levi asked impatiently. 

The word was silent, barely audile as it slipped out of Erwin's mouth. "Dead. I should be dead." 

\--

Eren awoke. He was freezing cold. All around him was darkness, and it smelled like dank, cold earth. 

He had foggy, terrible memories of his body getting blown to shreds. He felt his chest and face. He was completely whole, but his shirt was missing, and his pants were crusted with so much blood it was evident that his blood loss had been more than just a bad dream. 

He was cramped somewhere in a dark, cold place. He couldn't put his arms out to the side more than about 6 inches each direction, and could only raise them about 4 inches higher than his body. Something heavy was resting on his stomach, weighing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe. 

He felt around, feeling a moppy head of hair, caked with blood. There was a sticky gash along the side of the person's head, and when Eren touched it the body moved. 

"Armin?" The voice from below said groggily. "Scoot over. You're pushing me off the bed." 

A smile crept up Eren's cheeks, and he felt as if he had just learned very pertinent information that he was going to have a good time telling Levi about later. Levi. Later. He was supposed to talk to Levi about something. What had Levi wanted to talk to him about? His brows furrowed. Levi. His breath caught in his throat. He pushed his hands up, feeling a wood board above his head. If he stretched his body completely out straight, he could feel wood at his feet as well. 

The body beside him began to uncurl, Jean stretching, his arms and legs stretching out and klonking into the confines of the small space around them. His body pressed against Eren's awkwardly. 

"Armin." Jean murmured groggily, throwing his arm over Eren's waist sleepily. 

"It's Eren, Jean." The brunette said quietly, gently running his hands down Jean's body, looking for injuries. The cut on his head was the biggest, but Eren also felt a lot of smaller cuts and bruises, his shirt crusted with blood. He ran his hand along the blonde's chest, and felt some evidently shattered ribs, probably from a good hard kick in the gut. 

"Eren? Stop touching me like that then, you perv. You're not my type." 

"Sorry. Just checking for injuries. But you seem alive enough." 

"Yeah. My head is killing me. I think I'm like really, really, really, really," He repeated the word 'really' for at least two minutes, "hungover. My head is killing me." 

Eren decided against telling the other man that he had a gigantic gash in his skull. They would cross that bridge at another time. 

Where are we?" Jean asked, feeling around him curiously. 

Eren breathed in a deep sigh. He didn't want to say it out loud, because saying it aloud would make it real. He was also certain it would make Jean panic, especially in the strange state of delirium he was appearing in at the time. "Jean." He began slowly. "I think--we may be underground." 

"What?" 

"This is a coffin, what we're in right now, Jean." Eren said softly. 

"A coffin? What?" 

"Jean. I think...I think we've been buried alive." 


	10. Don't Fall Asleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was super hard for me to write, life's been kicking me in the butt recently so hope it's okay.
> 
> A huge thank you to my amazing friend HiechousBrat, who has given me so many amazing ideas for this piece. A million hugs.

The tall brunette man stood in front of the large paneled window, staring down into the vast apple orchard below. What a disaster. Everything was a disaster. He rubbed his eyes with his forefinger and thumb. This was not how he had been expecting the last few months to go. 

Generally speaking, Nile Dok's life was a blessed life. He was rich, from an affluent family, with high society friends and many important connections. 

His mother and father had had their fingers in many pies*- from stocks and bonds to rental properties and real estate. This was normal for most people in the upper class, the cash flow had to come from somewhere. However, his family held the world's best kept secret. 

20 years ago, his family had contrived a massive coup and wrestled ownership of Starwood Pharmaceuticals from the powerful previous owners: The Chinese Government. It was an outstanding feat and Nile himself wasn't even sure how they had done it, but all that mattered was when his sickly mother died, Starwood Pharmaceuticals would pass to him. 

Or at least that had been the plan. The plan spoken of for years and years in the Dok family, as Nile had grown from a small boy into a man, being groomed to take over his parent's estate, with Starwood as the crown jewel. He was ready. He was born for the title, for the responsibility. Everything had been going exactly as planned, until only a few weeks prior, when they had received the horrible, sickening news. That bastard, the one who could swoop in and steal all of his inheritance, usurping his right to Starwood Pharmaceuticals- was back. 

A young man by the name of Eren Yaeger. 

The door to the large study squeaked open and a thick blonde man entered the room. Nile continued to peer out the window, even as Mike approached. 

"Mike Zacharias." Nile drawled out the blonde's name disinterestedly without turning to look at him. "If you're here, I assume you've accomplished the task I hired you for."

"Yes. He's dead." Mike responded, looking down at his palms and scraping some blood off his hand with his opposite fingernail. 

"Very good. And?"

"And what?" 

"Where's the body." Nile annunciated, slowly turning and looking at the blonde, his eyes scanning up Mike's built, tall frame, now spattered with crimson. "...And I swear, if you tracked any blood into my house, I'll paint the walls with yours."

Mike sighed, rolling his eyes. "That seems a bit counter-productive, Nile. And the body is gone. I buried it." 

"You buried it." The man repeated slowly, cocking his head to the side before putting his head in his hands and rubbing his face vigorously. "I'm not sure you fully realize the gravity of this situation, Michael." 

"Don't call me that." The blonde responded, his eyebrows furrowing. "And I thought you would thank me. It's be better then me dragging the pieces of his corpse up the stairs in a garbage bag. I had to practically dismember the poor kid, somehow he had the LW13 Serum in his blood. It was a real chore, you know." 

"How did he have that?" Nile asked, his brows furrowing. "That's impossible." 

Mike shrugged. "I saw what I saw. He was steaming and regenerating. But anyway, it's no big deal. He's gone now. Count in it." 

Nile advanced toward Mike, gripping the taller man by the shirt. Mike was a few inches taller than him and much more built, but the blonde was still intimidated. "Do you know who I am, you jackass? You owe me. My men saved your life from that goddamn prision camp, and unless you want me to finish what they started over there, finish the job that I sent you to do. I didn't send you for some sort of half-assed alleged disappearance."

"You're making a way bigger deal of this than you should be, Nile." Mike said, jerking his shirt out of the larger man's hand. "First off- The kid doesn't, well, didn't even know who he was. To himself, he was just some street rat orphan who got picked up by a bunch of assassins. Pretty sure he was absolutely fine with that. The only person who is drawing attention to him being something other than a dirty orphan whore is you." 

Nile turned back to the window. "That's funny, you know. That is what Mary, my wife, said too. I should just ignore it and assume he would never be a hassle. But failing to plan is planning to fail, Michael. We don't know who else knows about him. About us. Currently, one of the biggest players in all of this in it is that traitorous bitch Hange- and she could have told him, told everyone by now." 

"Yeah." Mike mumbled.

"Dig up the body, and bring me his corpse. I need proof that he's dead and rotting, and I want to see what he looks like. Exactly like his father, I'd wager." 

"You've never seen him?" 

"Only on the day he was born. A squirming, screaming parasite that I knew right away could ruin me. Even as a boy, I understood the importance of that moment. He was supposed to be dead that very day, that's why we sent him away with Hange, our most dependable, ruthless exterminator. Instead, she turned into his guardian and now helps in the Suits, that bitch. That's the effect that Eren has on people. Now it would seem... fate has brought us all full circle." 

Mike huffed. "You have nothing to worry about. Believe me, the kid is dead. I shot his body apart and buried him underground. But I'll bring you the corpse for validation if you'd like. One of the info brokers is buried with him, apparently those jackass rent-a-cops couldn't tell who Eren was, they were just looking for the description 'tall and thin' so we got two for the price of one. No matter though. The other broker will be gone soon, as well as the rest of the Suits." 

"I couldn't give two shits about the Suits, or those worthless info brokers. Eren is the one I need gone this instant. He better already be dead, Mike. Bring me his corpse, and we'll consider your contract with me complete. Then you can go off and cause as much ruckus as you want, I don't give a damn." 

Mike crossed his arms, sighing. "Fine. I'll be back before noon." He turned and walked swiftly from the room. 

\-- 

"We've been buried alive?" Jean's breath quickened. "Shit!" His arms frantically reached out as he pounded on the sides of the wooden box, and Eren recognized his desperation as claustrophobia and cursed the heavens. This was not helpful, in fact, it was the very last thing they needed. 

The brunette reached over and quickly put his face next to the other man's, pressing his cheek and freezing cold body against Jean's, trying to regulate his breathing. 

"Stop. Breathing." He whispered softly in Jean's ear, placing his hand on Jean's chest. "You're going to suck up all of our oxygen. I need you to calm down right now, Jean, and use your brain so we can figure out how to get out of here before we die."

He kept his body pressed against the larger man's, humming a soft, peaceful tune quietly. 

Jean hugged Eren to his chest, his fingers gripping into his back almost painfully as he held him. "Okay. Okay. I'm okay. Sorry." Jean said softly, breathing raggedly through his nose as he tried not to panic. 

"It's okay." Eren responded, gently running his fingers over Jean's arm. 

"Are you afraid?" 

Eren let out a short laugh. "I'm terrified. Terrified that I'll never see Levi or Marco or Erwin again. They're my family. I'm terrified I'll die down here in this box, and never have a chance to grow old and do all the things I wanted to do, like travel to Iceland and see the northern lights, and get married and adopt a puppy. I'm terrified no one will ever find us. But that gives me all the more reason to fight. If we don't fight, we can't win. And the fuck I'll go out like this." 

Eren felt Jean nod in the darkness. "Yeah, right. You're right. Okay." 

"Okay." 

They tried the most basic method of escape first: pounding on every part of the small box they were stuffed into as hard as they could, to no avail. It was made of thick, hearty wood with some sort of heavy material lining, making it unwilling to give even a bit. 

Eren grunted in frustration at the end of it, giving one last hard punch to the ceiling, even though countless other punches had done nothing. 

"Okay. It's okay." Jean said. "We'll think of something else." He spoke quickly, trying to keep his voice from getting raggedy again with fear. Eren sighed as he pulled Jean against him again, gently humming and breathing slowly next to him.

After awhile Jean's breathing slowed again and he ran his fingers through Eren's damp hair. "Thank you." He breathed. "Ok. I'm ready. What's next." 

Eren swallowed as he thought. "Okay. Do you have anything in your pockets?" He asked as he shoved his hands in his own pockets, pulling out out an unfamiliar item which was periodically blinking with a soft blue light. It was a Fitbit. He couldn't remember the last time he had worn it, he supposed whenever he had been at Erwin's last and worn these jeans.

Jean reached in his back pockets, then in his front, pausing. "Yeah..here's...this." He pulled out a item, looking it over curiously, the Fitbit's occasional blinking making just enough light for him to inspect the object. "I don't know what it is." 

Eren took the item from Jean's hand. He was finally able to view the larger man with the small amount of light they had, and he kind of wished they were still in the dark. Jean's head was caked with blood and his neck was slick with sweat, either from how warm it had gotten inside the small space, or from a fever already beginning due to the enormous gash on his temple. He wondered realistically how much pain Jean was in. He was a strong man. Eren had known it before, but this was something different entirely. He gagged inwardly, seeing the blood crusted across his collar and down his shirt. He couldn't think about it. They had to stay focused. 

Eren took the small item from Jean and turned it in his hand, twisting it. A small blade popped out and Eren smiled. "This is one of Marco's favorite things. He brought it from Italy, someone in the mob gave it to him. Did he give it to you?" 

Jean shook his head. "No, these are his pants. But- if this is a knife, then..." His train of thought floated off as he grabbed the Fitbit and the blade from Eren, turning them over in his hands, thinking. 

"Is it...can you do something with that?" Eren exclaimed. 

Jean's brows furrowed as he took the knife, sliding it into the small item and popping the screen off. He twisted it around inside, quickly and meticulously pulling parts apart. It was unlike anything Eren had ever seen. 

"I think I...may be able to reverse the signal and send out a small, weak beacon of sorts." Jean said, his brows furrowing as he continued fiddling with the electronic. "It won't be much, but I know if someone is looking, they will be able to find it."

He continued the amazing rewiring of the small object, reassembling the tiny piece parts in a way Eren never thought possible. When he was finished, he gently laid the object between their heads, the soft blue light continuously blinking. They both stared up at it, slowly breathing, no words coming to either of them. 

The blonde reached down and laced his fingers with Eren's. Jean's body was cold and clammy, his hands slick and crusted with his own blood. Eren's hands were filthy with dirt and blood as he grasped Jean's fingers tightly in his. 

"Please work." Eren whispered. 

"It will. It has to." 

\-- 

Armin used Erwin's sleek desktop computer and tried to concentrate. He knew if Jean was alive and was able to, he would think of some way to contact him, however, depending on which sort of device Jean found to use, it could show up on different frequencies. What could Jean have access to? Phone, computer, internet, basic household items. He was grasping at straws. He had no idea where Jean was, if he was even alive. If he was being held somewhere, was it in a basement? A warehouse? A warehouse would most likely not have phones, but there would be plenty of electronic devices. His eyes scanned over the rows and rows of code on the computer. Please Jean. Be there. Give me something. 

It had been three hours now, and the morning sun was peeking over the horizon and shining across the wrecked, blood spattered garden, reminding them of the absolute chaos of the night before. Armin buried his head in his arms as he tried to focus, once again tightening his high ponytail. There was glass shattering and yelling as the three elder men fought in the next room. They had been fighting for some time, Armin wasn't exactly sure how they were still carrying on and weren't all dead yet. At this point he didn't even care, he just wished they would shut the hell up so that he could concentrate. 

A resounding shatter was heard, which was no doubt the sound of someone or something getting thrown into a china cabinet* and expensive dishes shattering. The shattering was followed by a very errie silence, which made even Armin stop for a moment and swivel in his chair, listening for sounds coming from the next room. Maybe it actually had happened. They had actually all died. 

He was mistaken. 

"You motherfucker!" Following the expletive, Levi came crashing through the den wall, shattering through the plaster and rolling across the plush carpet, Marco following after him. 

Armin rolled his eyes. He wondered why suddenly those two were fighting. He was pretty sure the initial fight had been with Erwin, apparently it had turned into some sort of masculinity contest. He didn't care at the moment. He swiveled back toward the computer, crossing his legs under him. 

Marco stepped through the Levi-shaped hole in the wall. He leaned down and grabbed the smaller man around the waist, lifted him a bit and then slammed him back down on the ground in a brutal wrestling move, drawing back his arm and punching the ravenette full on in the face. Levi growled as his nose bled, and he flipped his head, splattering his blood on Marco's face. The larger man blanched and released his hold in disgust, wiping the foreign blood spatter from his cheek. The smaller man was instantly on top of him, wrapping his small legs around Marco's neck and holding a piece of broken plate to the man's throat. 

There was the sound of a gun cocking, and the two instantly froze. Armin had swiveled in his chair and was holding a handgun, pointing it at Levi's chest. "Enough." He said. "You're like a bunch of wild dogs." 

Levi put his hands up and the two quickly untangled, standing up and brushing themselves off while they groaned. 

Armin stood from his chair and shooed the two into the other room, the gun still clutched between his hands. Erwin was slumped up against the wall, shattered pieces of a large Ming vase all around him as if someone had slammed it directly into his face and knocked him unconscious with it. 

"You are all collective jackasses, I hope you know that." Armin said, lowering the weapon as he looked at the three men. "Jean and Eren could still be alive, and you're in here hurting each other. Why don't you put your energy to better use, like using rational thought to try to figure out what happened here instead of lashing out at each other like cavemen?" 

Erwin groaned as he twitched, his eyes opening up slowly. He cracked his neck, then moved his arms and legs, struggling to get up from his place against the wall. "Aah. Fuck, Levi. My back." He said, rubbing his back as he stood, looking at Levi, who stared back at him, his silver eyes narrowed into slits. 

"Fuck you, Erwin." Came Levi's response as he wiped his bleeding nose on his shirt, immediately regretting it as he immediately needed to do laundry. 

Armin's eyebrows knitted together as he looked at Erwin, then at Levi, then at Marco, studying them all closely. His gaze then tuned back to Erwin. "Who was on the phone, Erwin? Who is Mike?" 

"And why the fuck did he take Eren." 

"And Jean." Marco added. 

Erwin sighed, clamping his jaw together. 

"I've heard you talk about being in the army a total of three time since I met you, Erwin." Marco said, advancing toward the blonde and gripping him by the shirt. "What the fuck are you hiding. You better tell, right now, or I swear I'll kill you, and not lose one wink of sleep over it." 

"Listen." Erwin began, as he worked to peel Marco's strong grip from his shirt. 

"Erwin," Armin said softly, but with a slight warning in his voice, "Please. Just tell the truth." 

The blonde paused, and then let out a long sigh. "I never lied to you. Never. Any of you. What happened- back then, it's my sin to bear. I never wanted to burden any of you with it." 

"Marco released Erwin's shirt and crossed his arms. "Well now you fucking have, so get on with it." 

Erwin was silent for a bit, as if thinking of where to begin. "I left my family and all they had to offer me when I was 17. It was a complicated situation. I joined the army instead, and was on a small task force. I didn't really have anything to care about, so I did hard missions that were dangerous and risky. Time passed- I was eventually promoted to commander and had very small team under me, Mike, and a woman named Nanaba." 

"Could you like, skip to the important part?" Levi asked, looking at the rugburns on his elbows. 

"Mike and Nanaba were lovers for many years. They planned on getting married after we got out of the service. We had one last mission to complete, we were going to infiltrate and destroy a small enemy base that sat in some jungled area. It was really no big deal. They already had our discharge paper drawn up, it was supposed to be an easy mission. We were dropped off by a large military ship, then took a very small passenger boat towards our mark. We weren't far from our destination, but the night was dark and the water was choppy, visibility was low as well, making the going even slower in the small vessel. Suddenly, we were attacked. Our ship was fired upon by enemy torpedoes. Our boat was a passenger vessel, not a military craft, so it was torn apart." 

The three listened wordlessly. 

"The ship was shredded by the blast and caught on fire instantly. The water was slicked with oil all around us and burned, the flames licking up into the black night sky. I couldn't decide at that moment what I was the most terrified of engulfing me: the black water, or the red, hungry flames. I remember watching Nanaba fall off of the deck as it splintered and fell piece by piece into the fire and water. I grabbed her hand, gripping it with everything I had- but her hand was slick with sweat from the heat of the fire. She fell from my grasp into the fiery water below. I can still hear her screaming. Mike dove in immediately after her, and seconds later I fell into the dark waters as the deck crumbled under my feet. I was adrift in the open water for days. When I was finally picked up it was by one of our own ships, and we spent weeks looking for Mike and Nanaba, but no remains of them were ever found. We had their funerals. They gave me their folded flags. I was honorably discharged and given a sizable sum of money as a settlement- enough to start a new life on, since I had parted ways with my family. I had thought they were dead. Both of them. I had learned to live with that. But..." His voice trailed off for a moment. "That's not the case. And now Mike is back for his revenge." 

There was silence as Erwin finished his story, and the three tried to decide who should speak first. 

"Erwin, that was an accident." Armin said, clearly expecting something different out of the story.

Marco shook his head. "That's war. That's part of being a soldier. Part of what you sign up for when you give your life to the military." 

Erwin pursed his lips. "Still, I--" 

"No." Levi said, holding his hand out in front of him to show Erwin he was cutting off his words. "None of this pity shit. Don't be ridiculous Erwin, first of all, there was nothing that you could have done. Don't go on with survivor's guilt or all that bullshit." 

Erwin opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. Moments later, he finally decided what he wanted to say. "Mike is still coming, regardless of the truth of his vengeance." 

"Then we'll fucking kill him." Levi responded. 

"We'll go to him. How do we find him, Erwin. Where would he go?" Marco followed up.

"If he's working for Starwood, then I would say that he may go there, but I honestly don't know. I don't know who is running the corporation or what their end game is. I don't know why they would want Eren and Jean kidnapped, or if that was just something that Mike did to hurt us. I don't know if there is something secret that I'm missing in it all, or if I'm reading too far into things. I don't know if they're still alive and if they are, what the point would be." 

"I don't think there's any way that Eren could be alive, with what we found." Armin said quietly. 

"Don't you fucking say that." Levi said, advancing toward him, Erwin stepping in between the two. 

"Levi." 

"It's not true. It's not. He's not gone, no way in hell." Levi said, reaching up and twisting his fingers in Erwin's shirt. 

Suddenly, Armin heard a soft ping, so quiet and familiar it was only audible to him. He turned quickly, running back into the room with the desktop computer. 

"What is it?" Levi asked, his hands unfisting from Erwin's shirt just in time for them to not start fighting again. "Did you find something?" 

"It's...it's...strange." Armin breathed, sitting down in the leather chair again and tightening his ponytail. He pulled up a run box and typed into it furiously. "There's something...It's...." He continued typing and none of them dared to interrupt him to ask him to finish his train of thought. Suddenly, a GPS map pulled up, a tiny red dot blinking on it. "It's so light its barely there. It's like someone reprogrammed, like, a Bluetooth headset or something. 

"Can someone do that?" Erwin asked, coming into the room and gently putting his hand on Armin's shoulder. 

"Jean can." 

Marco was across the room in a couple steps. "Where is he?" The brunette asked, his fingernails digging into the back of Armin's chair. 

"Here. It's not far. 20 minutes, maybe." 

"We're going." Marco said, already halfway out the door. 

"But wait, there's something weird." 

"Weird how?" Levi asked, squinting at the blinking dot as if it would speak to him.

"The signal...it's somehow...under the ground." 

\-- 

"Don't fall asleep, Jean." Eren whispered, and Jean nodded, getting dizzy and tired from the lack of oxygen inside of the small enclosed space. 

"So...tired. I thought they would come for us." He said, drowsily. 

"They'll come. They will." The brunette replied, not quite sure if he believed it himself. "Jean, tell me a story about your childhood. Stay awake." 

"Which part?" He drawled. 

"Welll, you and Armin were friends a long time, right? How about something you enjoyed doing together?" 

"We liked modding computer games and nerdy things like that." He laughed, "And we liked having sex." 

"Excuse me?" Eren shook his head, as if that would somehow clear his ears. 

Jean laughed a hoarse laugh. "Haha. We dated for a while. We liked fucking. A lot." 

Eren laughed. "Wow. This I didn't know, but it doesn't surprise me. Are you still together, then?" Eren realized he hadn't asked that. None of them had, they had pretty much just stolen the info brokers away with no regard to their lives.

Jean shook his head. "Nah. We have different basic types. I like it rough. Really rough. He likes to be comforted and feel safe. He also likes older men. We'll always be best friends though." 

Eren smiled and nodded. "So what about Marco then?"

Jean let out a short laugh. "He's fucking ama--zing." He said, yawning in the middle of his word. "I wish I could have gotten to know him better. I think we could have been really good together. But, the first thing I'd do if we had gotten out of here, was punch that bastard in the face for leaving me. If he hadn't of left me alone in his house, this wouldn't have happened." 

"That bi--ch." Eren said with yawn. "He deserves being punched in the face. 

Jean nodded, scratching his face lazily. "What about you and Levi?" 

"Hmm. it's complicated." The brunette replied with a frown. "We've always been together, I've known him since I was 13. We used to be close, but once I became the king of hearts, he grew to resent me, because he saw me as a whore. I'm not though. Really, I've only been in bed with two men." 

"But you're the King of Hearts. Isn't that what you do? Use your body to get your targets where you want them?" 

Eren smiled. "Anyone can have sex in exchange for something. This isn't persuasion, it's prostitution." Eren paused to yawn. "I have a specific set of talents and skills, a lot of the time I don't even get undressed when I'm with my targets. But I think Levi has a really different picture of how I do things." 

"Why dont you just tell him the truth?"

"I wanted him to love me for me, I guess. All of me. Besides- if he saw me as, you know, a whore, I'm not even sure if he would have believed me if I had told him otherwise. I have always loved him. Only him. Ever since I first met him."

Jean's eyes floated shut again and his fingers loosened around Eren's. 

"That's nice." He murmured. 

"Don't fall asleep Jean. Jean. Don't. Don't fall asleep." Eren whispered the words even as he felt himself getting dizzy and painfully drowsy. He hadn't thought it would end this way. He had imagined something else, like growing old with Levi at a house by the lake. Drinking red wine at sunset without a care in the world, a small puppy curled up by their feet, Levi's head on his shoulder as he drifted off to sleep. He sniffled, and he felt Jean's hand move up to his face, his clammy, cold fingers wiping the tear clumsily from his cheek. 

"Fucking sucks, right?" Jean said, his voice thick with emotion. 

Eren shook his head, another tear rolling down his opposite cheek. "They'll come for us, Jean," he whispered, "They will. Don't fall asleep."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *fingers in many pies is a (super weird) American idiom which basically means that someone is involved in a lot of things.
> 
> *a china cabinet is a cabinet where people keep really fancy and expensive dishes. Its generally made of glass and wood.


	11. A Million Reasons Why I'm Thankful Can Be Summed Up In Three Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We got our first snow of the winter here! It's so beautiful!
> 
> Thanks for all your likes and comments, everyone!! I'm so happy you're enjoying the fic. 
> 
> I just posted two pieces of my three part series "Fate Comes Roughly". Hope you check it out!
> 
> Now on with the show!

Wind. Fresh air. It was rushing over his body, ruffling his stiff, bloody hair and raising goosebumps on his skin.

The air was crisp, cold and clean and held the light scent of apples. He couldn't move or breathe, but somehow experienced his surroundings nonetheless. This must be what it felt like to die. He always believed in heaven, but for some reason never thought he would actually pass away.

Cold. Everything was cold. The air, his body, even his blood, it seemed. The cold permeated him, soaking through and in him. He felt so, so tired, like he was in the period of deepest REM slumber, just before the alarm would wake him. But this time, there was nothing to pull him from this never ending sleep.

Then somehow, he heard someone calling him, far in the distance. It echoed, like it was coming from the end of a long, dark tunnel. In the darkness, there was no one. But he still heard it. Worried. Soft. Scared. "Jean. Please. You have to wake up." 

Armin's voice. 

Another voice joined Armin's. Deep, urgent, demanding. "Goddamn it, Jean, if you die, I swear I'll kill you myself. Stop fucking around." 

Marco. 

He wasn't sure where he was. All he knew was he needed to get back. Back to Armin. Back to Marco. But all around him was nothing. Only darkness. 

An intense pressure settled on his chest, pressing down repeatedly, urging his heart to beat again. A warm mouth latched with his, breathing oxygen down his airway, filling up his lungs. 

The rough chest compressions continued, and more air was breathed into him. And then he felt it. A dull thumping throughout his being. His heart beating, and the rushing of blood flowing throug his veins. His body starting to function again. He breathed slowly, then deeper, fresh autumn air filling up his lungs as his eyes fluttered open. 

"Jean. Oh my god, Jean, you're alive!" Armin was kneeling beside him as he came to, tears streaming down his face, his fingers gently carding through Jean's blood-caked hair. 

The resurrected man blinked blearily, taking in the scene around him. He felt Armin's warmth next to him, touching him gently while wiping his tears off his face with the back of his sleeve. Directly hovering over him was a large dark blur. His eyes focused, and he realized it was Marco. 

"Oh my god." Were the first words that slipped from the brunette's lips as he ran his finger across Jean's chin in an uncharacteristically gently motion. "You came back." 

Jean looked at him, his eyes blinking slowly, his head cocking a bit to the side. He stretched his neck, then flexed his fingers, curling his hands into fists. Then, without hesitation, he rolled his body, throwing his fist with full power and slamming it into Marco's jaw, knocking the larger man flat on his back. 

"That's for leaving me alone, you asshole." Jean said, his voice scratchy as he slowly sat up. 

Marco groaned, gripping his jaw in his hand, blood running from the corner of his mouth as he peeled himself up from the sticky orchard ground. The place they had dug the coffin up from had been in the middle of an enormous apple orchard, which stretched for acres in every direction. When their shovel had hit the hard wood lid they were all surprised, although they shouldn't have been. Armin was an expert at his craft, as was Jean. When they pried the top open to see the two bloodied bodies, their hearts stopped. The last few minutes had been some of the most terrifying moments of their lives, wondering if two of the men they cared about would ever breathe again. But Jean had proven himself alive enough indeed. 

"I deserved that." Marco drawled, holding his sore jaw. "Glad to see you're feeling better already."

Jean looked the olive-skinned man over. He had only been apart from him for a few hours, and he was mad at him, so fucking mad. But seeing him again made his stomach clench in relief. He was alive, and Marco was here with him. He had saved him. He felt his lips, feeling the brunette's saliva still on his mouth from administering CPR to him. Bastard. He was angry at him for leaving him alone at Erwin's, but at the same time, they had made it. Everything was going to be ok. He was relieved that he got to see him again, and hopeful. Greedy. Wanting and needing more time with Marco. 

With a sigh, he tore his gaze away from the handsome Italian man and turned to the small blonde next to him. "You did it." He said softly, wrapping Armin in a tight hug. "You found us." 

Armin smiled, pressing his forehead against the larger man's. "I knew you would call for me. I just had to find you." 

"Thank you, Armin." 

"Don't thank me. You would have done the same for me. Besides, I couldn't go on without you. You're the only family I have left." 

"You're my only family too." Jean replied softly, the two embracing. 

Marco approached Jean from behind, gently reaching out and running his fingers through his matted hair. Jean turned, allowing the brunette to help him from his place on the ground. Marco wrapped his arm around the smaller man's waist, helping him get steady on his feet while he held him to his chest posessively. He gently ran his fingers over Jean's body, inspecting the bruises and wounds, evident of rough treatment. "I'll kill whoever did this to you." He whispered, kissing Jean gently behind the ear while his fingers ghosted over the large gash on his head. 

"I'm fine, Marco, honestly." Jean responded, shivering as he felt Marco's arms and lips against him, holding him, caressing him and comforting him. "I just need some tylenol." 

Marco gently held him close. "I never meant for this to happy. I'm so sorry you were hurt." 

The deep, apologetic tone sent shivers up the blonde's spine and Jean couldn't help but sink into Marco's embrace, if only for a moment. With his large, warm arms wrapped around him, he felt perfectly safe, still and unafraid. After a few moments, Jean broke free of the brunette's grasp, needing to stand on his own two feet and regain his composure. Marco kept a grip on one of Jean's belt loops like a leash, not letting him out of his reach. 

"Where is Eren? Is he okay?" Jean asked, his eyebrows furrowing as he realized he was missing. 

Armin was standing up, wiping the dirt off of his knees. "We don't know yet." He answered softly, nodding in the direction over Jean's shoulder. Jean followed his gaze to see Erwin pumping down on the younger man's chest, Levi sitting next to him, teeth clenched together. 

"You'd better wake up, you brat." The ravenette whispered, his two small hands clenching tightly around Eren's lifeless palm. 

Erwin inclined his head to Levi and the ravenette reached forward, putting his mouth against the brunette's, breathing into it. Eren didn't stir, so the chest compressions continued. After 40 chest compressions, Levi breathed into his mouth again, and this time, there was movement. Eren's whole entire body shivered, his eyes fluttering open. Then he reached up, grabbing Levi by the back out the jacket and yanked him against himself, sucking on his bottom lip and kissing him deeply. 

"Eren," Levi choked as he smashed his lips against the younger man's, "You're alive."

"Damned right." The younger man smiled. "I couldn't die yet, not when you still had something important to tell me." 

Levi gripped Eren's wild hair tightly as he kissed him roughly, tearing the hair tie out of the small half pony so he could ruffle it with both hands as he crawled on top of the man, straddling him in a much too sensual manner to engage in while everyone else was watching. "I fucking missed you. Don't ever do that again, you jackass."

"What? Get kidnapped? Well, no promises." Eren teased as he ran his fingers down Levi's small body, slipping them under his shirt and pressing them against his warm skin.

"Don't die. Ever again. Eren...without you..." His voice trailed off as a gun fired. Eren's eyes jerked up as the dirt exploded next to them, a bullet embedding in the ground about six inches to their left. They looked around frantically for the shooter, but no one was in sight. The younger man rolled over, holding the smaller man in a tight hug as another gunshot sounded, Eren protecting Levi with his body as the bullet pierced painfully into his left kidney. Eren's entire body jolted with the impact and he coughed, immediately spewing blood across the side of the smaller man's face.

"Oh my god, Eren! No!" the ravenette yelled, gripping the smaller man, pulling his chin up to look him in the eyes. 

Eren wheezed, tears seeping from his teal orbs. "It's totally ok. I'm sort of like superman right now. Whatever was in that first aid kit, nnnh, I can't die." The large wound on his back pumped blood freely, running down his side and dripping into the mud next to them. 

"Eren, you were just fucking dead 30 seconds ago!!" 

The brunette frowned. This was true. Nonetheless, steam started to slowly rise from the large wound in his back, Eren's body twitching in pain. Levi ran his hand over the younger man's body, Squeezing him tightly. 

"I'll be fine in a quick minute." Eren gulped, forcing his face to smile as he held his lover, coughing blood once again onto him. 

"Why did you do that? For me?" 

"Because, I love you, you jackass." 

"Stupid brat." Levi said exasperated, rolling his eyes as he felt Eren's blood slicking his hands. "I love you too. That's what I wanted to tell you. I always have. For all of my life, more than anything." 

Eren smiled, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Good." 

"Yeah." 

"What the fuck are you doing here?" A voice yelled, and all heads turned to see the shooter emerging. He was an enormously tall and broad blonde man, even taller than Erwin, who stood easily above 6'0". He had a defined mustache and goatee, and was trudging toward them through the orchard with a rifle thrown over his shoulder. 

"I could ask you the same question." Erwin asked as he quickly moved to Armin, pushing the blonde behind himself and putting himself between the younger man and the shooter. "Just walk away, Mike. No one has to die today." 

Mike sneered as he readied his weapon. "You think there's strength in numbers, Commander, but you're completely unarmed." He pointed at the group gathered around the open coffin. "A few of you here look like you've just gotten in a bar fight (which Levi, Erwin and Marco basically had) and that little daisy you're hiding there probably wouldn't be able to hurt a fly. So here's this," He pointed the rifle at Erwin and Armin, "Killing you now would be very anti-climactic, so I'll cut you a deal. Give me the kid, and I'll let you go for now." 

"I'll kill you if you even touch him." Erwin said, reaching behind himself to grip Armin's hand.

"Not that kid." Mike sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Eren Yaeger." 

Eren was quietly sobbing, head pressed to Levi's chest as the large bullet worked to push itself from his back. 

"That one hurts more then the past one did, yeah?" Mike asked smugly. "Your serum is wearing off. You got lucky. It saved your life, what, 3 times in the course of 3 days? The serum only stays active for 5 days at most, so you'll lose your invincibility soon. After that, I'll finally be able to fucking kill you like a normal person. I'm sure we can find a lot to do in the meantime though." He sneered.

Levi growled from his place beneath him. "I'll murder you for hurting him." 

"So many empty threats flying around." Mike sighed. "Give me Eren now, or I will kill all of you. Well, except for the tiny blonde bitch. I'll do terrible, horrible things to him. Maybe I'll make you watch, Erwin, for days and days while I tear him apart piece by piece, ruining, degrading and debauching him, until there's nothing of him left except a hollow, fucked out shell. Then I'll kill you both, slowly and painfully, his screams echoing in your head for eternity." 

Marco's powerful punch to his chin caught the blonde off guard. "Fuck you! You'll never touch Armin, or Eren, or anyone."

Mike recoiled from the powerful slug, gripping his jaw and shaking his head. "You must be The King of Clubs. Marco." He grinned as the freckled man's eyes narrowed to slit at the sound of his own name. "I hear you've been with Erwin the longest. Tell me..., Marco, did the commander tell you about his life in the military? About how he murdered his friends and the people he cared about?" 

"I don't give a fuck about you and Erwin and your shit." Marco growled. "We're all fucked up. I'm from Sicily. My childhood would put your pussy, white boy history to shame. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Either man up and take the hits or cry in a corner like a bitch baby." 

Jean's mouth fell open as he heard the slew of expletives fall so freely from Marco's mouth. He was completely unafraid of the blonde, and Jean hated to admit it but he had to bite into his cheek, because Marco's furrowed brow, fearlessness and the way he grabbed Mike's shirt, slamming their heads together in a cracking, painful sounding headbutt, gave him an instant raging hard-on. 

The larger man reeled back as Marco's forehead burst his nose, spattering blood everywhere. Mike pushed Marco back, pointing the gun at his chest. "Fucking feisty." He said with a raspy laugh. There was a gunshot, and blood spattered across Marco's body.

"Marco, no!" Jean felt himself yell, but then realized the blood across Marco's face and neck wasn't his own, it was Mike's. He had suddenly been shot. 

Mike staggered back, gripping his chest, and the group turned to see where the shot had come from. About 500 feet away was a woman, wearing telescoping goggles and holding a small gun between her hands. Her dark hair was twisted in a large updo and she was wearing a yellow shirt and white pants, standing out horribly in the backround of the brown and green orchard. Upon seeing her first shot hit and realizing she had been seen, she waved an overexaggerated hello wave at the group across the orchard.

"Is that...Hange?" Erwin asked confusedly. 

The woman bounded across the field, all of Mike's attention turning toward her as she fired another shot, embedding in his lower stomach. Steam had already slowly started to rise from the first wound. 

"Get out of here." She yelled, shooting again, her third shot hitting Mike's thigh and dropping the larger man to his knees. "I'll take care of this for now." 

"Hange, what are you doing here?" Erwin asked confusedly. 

"I was in the area." She smiled goofily, with a wink. She moved over to Jean and pressed a small key into his hand. "Stay here, it's safe. I got it all ready for you guys." 

"What?" Erwin asked. "How?"

She shooed him away with her hand. "I'll tell you some other time, kay? Remind me after this!"

\--

It didn't take Jean and Armin long to figure out where the small tracking device in the key led them to. They arrived in front of a tall condo, and looked at it a bit despairingly. "There's no way in hell we're all going to fit in there."

They followed Erwin in. The house was clean and decorated in a grey and navy theme, making it clean and homey. The small kitchen opened up to a living room with a couch and a mounted TV, and a small hallway led down to a bedroom and bathroom. Up the stairs were two more bedrooms and another bathroom. 

With much grumbling, the cycled through the showers. There were clothes in each of their sizes, organized in the specific rooms: Erwin and Armin in the bedroom downstairs, Eren and Levi in one bedroom and Marco and Jean in the other upstairs bedroom, like Hange had been anticipating this entire incident. Once they had all showered and changed into comfy clothes, they made their way back into the kitchen. Armin was standing beside the stove in a pair of basketball shorts and a tee shirt, chopping ingredients for a salad while Erwin was dumping ingredients for chicken soup into a large pot on the stove. 

Levi and Marco gravitated toward the kitchen table. There was a bottle of red wine sitting out, a note propped against it that read "Welcome home". Eren scooted around in the kitchen and found the bottle opener, throwing it to the men, and the two popped the cork off the wine. 

"Hey, save the wine for dinner." Erwin said. Marco gave him the middle finger in response as he and Levi poured two glasses and clinked them together, downing the dark red drink like cheap shots. 

The effect was evident in Levi first. The wine glass fell from between his fingers, spinning and spiraling toward the floor. Eren took two large steps across the kitchen, closing the gap between them, and caught the stem of the glass between his outstretched fingers just before the glassware shattered into oblivion on the hardwood. "Levi, what's wrong." Eren asked worriedly, as he set the wine glass down on the table safely. "Did something happen? Are you sick?" 

Without answering, Levi dropped to his knees, letting out a hungry little whine as he yanked the elastic of Eren's sweatpants out of the way, pulling out his long, flaccid dick and exposing it to everyone in the room. 

"Aaah! Levi what are you doing? Levi, stooomygod..." His cry of stop was abruptly cut off when Levi slipped his warm mouth around his thick member, sliding his small, unpracticed lips up and down in an attempt to pleasure his lover. Eren clenched his teeth, his hands going to grip the smaller man's hair. "Lee, aah, what are you doing?" 

Levi only whined in response as he continued licking and slurping Eren's member, his eyes sliding closed as he enjoyed the taste of the brunette's precum, his hand sliding down inside his own shorts as he played with himself. 

A small growl came from Marco, and Eren tore his eyes away from the beautiful, blushing scene that was Levi over to the brunette. Marco's eyes were fixed on the staircase, where Jean was descending, running his fingers through his slightly damp hair. He was shirtless and in basketball shorts, carrying a tee-shirt in one hand as if he were about to protest about one thing or another. He didn't get the chance. 

The freckled man bounded across the room, running up the three stairs Jean had left to descend. He pushed the blonde down onto the staircase, pinning him down on his back. 

"Aaah! Marco, what the hell!" The blonde cried out as Marco pressed his hand to his bare chest, digging his sharp teeth into his neck and making Jean's hips jolt up involuntarily. 

"Nnnh....Marco.." Jean whimpered as the brunette crudely humped him on the stairs, biting into his neck again, grabbing his flailing wrists and holding them down tightly on the stair next to his head. 

"What the hell is going on?" Armin breathed out loud, before his eyes narrowed, focusing in on the wine on the table and the card underneath it. Armin went to it, flipping the card over, he read the back, a short note written in cute handwriting. 

"Don't worry, it will wear off by morning. Have a good time, please clean up after yourself, and don't get you know what on the carpet, it's new ;). PS, You're welcome. XO Hange" 

Erwin went around the table, reading the note over Armin's shoulder. "Fucking Hange." He said, rubbing his forehead. 

Jean's pleasured screams continued to come from the stairwell as Marco licked and bit his exposed skin, and a short breathy whine left Levi's lips as the larger brunette pulled him off of his cock with a slobbery wet pop, throwing him over his shoulder. 

"I'm taking this." Eren said, referring to Levi. The two just nodded as Eren moved past them, delicately carrying his cargo up the stairs and around Jean and Marco, who pretended not to notice them as they continued their lecherous behavior. A few moments later a door from the upstairs quietly closed, indicating that Eren and Levi had actually made it all the way to their bedroom, (unlike Jean and Marco). 

"I guess we'll have chicken soup and salad for breakfast." Erwin murmured as he put the ingredients away. 

"Yeah." Armin responded, his voice suddenly thick with arousal, making Erwin turn slowly and look at him. "You can just go ahead and have me for dinner tonight." He smiled suggestively, sipping the dark red wine from one of the wine glasses sitting on the table. 

Erwin moaned, looking the smaller man over as he jumped up on the table, spreading his legs. Erwin sighed, setting the dishes back down on the counter. He moved toward Armin, shedding his shirt. Fuck it. They could take care of everything tomorrow. 


	12. Hange's Specialty Vintage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for your likes and comments! I'm so glad you're enjoying reading Suits as much as I'm enjoying updating it.
> 
> I'm going to change this to every other week updates. I'm working 60 hour weeks and I really want to write a good, smutty fic for you guys that I have time to really think through and edit to quality. 
> 
> I also want to have a chance to finish up "My Money's On The Kid". The 'Matchmaker' series is my favorite I hate not having finished up the prequel yet- I've been penning it since August. 
> 
> All the hugs- thank you so much for reading. And now....smut.

The door to Hange's condo swung inward and the quirky brunette woman entered, greeted immediatly by the pungent scent of cum. 

Immediatly in front of her, stretched out on the plush living room love seat were Armin and Jean, Armin's head resting on Jean's chest. The two were completely naked, their bodies delicately entwined as they snored softly. Bruises covered the larger blonde's body, most from the events of the prior day and the rough treatment by Mike and his soldiers, but some were fresh- around his wrists and his thighs. The smaller man was marked equally as thoroughly, with bite marks and hickies covering his smooth, baby-soft skin. 

Marco and Erwin were a few feet away in the kitchen. Erwin was leaned back against the cabinets, and Marco was curled up to his chest like a baby, his legs thrown over one of Erwin's thick thighs as he sat in his lap, his head nuzzled into the crook of the larger man's neck. The brunette's back and shoulders was covered in scratch marks of many different styles and sizes, as if somehow from three different pairs of hands.

Hange giggled as she surveyed the room, looking at the sleeping men. The specialty "wine" she had left them was now gone, the bottle rolled uselessly away into the corner of the kitchen, and the small note she had written and left with the gift had fluttered under the table, when it and the napkin holder had been shoved off the tabletop so the surface could be used for other activities. She smirked, looking at the disarray her apartment was in. One chair was completely shattered in pieces on the floor, the others were tipped over. Pictures had been knocked off the wall and cum was on the floor, table, couch, staircase...it would probably be easier to catalogue the places that cum wasn't, as opposed to all the places it was. 

She pulled out a small notebook from her pocket and scribbled in it, murmuring aloud to herself. "According to my observations, it looks like there has been an inhuman amount of ejaculations." She looked at the word, then crossed it out, writing it again as if she had misspelled it. "The drug obviously increased the subjects' libido, however there seems to have been an orgy, which make the drug too potent to offer to the open market, as lack of self control is evident. Further testing will ensue."

A groan came from the kitchen, belonging to the brunette resting comfortably in Erwin's lap. He had been rudely awakened by Hange's muttering. "Is that you, Hange? Fuck, my asshole." 

"Sorry, I can't I dont have that sort of equipment." Hange said as she continued scribbling, giggling at her own joke. 

"What's going on... I feel like I got hit by a freight train. Oh my god." There was rustling from behind the counter, followed by a disgusted shriek and a flailing of naked arms and legs. "What the hell...Erwin? What the fuck, why are you naked? Why are you touching me? Jesus, get away! Fuck me, oh my god, my asshole! GOD DAMNIT!" Marco flailed around hilariously as he quickly bolted upright, tearing himself away from Erwin's embrace. He wobbled on his feet, his legs shaky and pain in his lower back rocketing through his entire body. He was able to take one step before his legs gave out and he collapsed face first on the hardwood floor, shaking the kitchen and awakening the rest of the men. 

Erwin's eyes peeled open and he blinked blearily, reaching out for Marco's ankle. "Armin." he whispered, are you alright?" 

The large brunette slapped Erwin's large palm off his body, slinking across the hardwood floor on his hands and knees, one hand trying to cover his very flaccid member as he worked to make his way to the place where his boxers had been thrown the night before. They were haphazardly hanging off the wall, held up by a piece of exquisite metal wall art shaped like a mountain with a setting sun in the background. "I fucking swear Erwin, if you so much as looked at my dick last night I'll kill you." 

Jean stirred on the couch, rousing as he heard Marco's ministrations. He looked surprisingly over Armin, who was cuddled into his chest, breathing softly. The blonde's big blue eyes were just fluttering open, and he yawned, wiping the sleep from his eye with the back of his wrist like a cat. Jean smiled as he ran his fingers gently through Armin's long golden hair, which was spread over the smaller man's shoulders, cascading onto his chest. "Pretty sure he did a lot more than look at it, Marco." Jean murmured, his own cheeks reddening as he remembered the events of the night before. 

Erwin shook his head, blinking blearily, trying to clear the fog. He looked at the mischievous brunette woman in the doorway, who seemed to be writing down everything they were saying. "Hange...what did you do to us?"

\-----

SEVERAL HOURS EARLIER

The room was spinning. Levi felt drunker than he had ever felt in his whole entire life. His body was euphoric, hot, and raging with need. He was so, so aroused.

His senses were heightening with every second, making everything louder, deeper and stronger. The aftertaste of the sweet wine lingering on his tongue. The buzz of the chatter around him. The feel of the cold wine glass falling from between his fingers as it slipped from his grasp. 

As the foreign liquid took control of his body, he felt his heart start to beat out of his chest in an unfamiliar, uncharacteristic way. 

He only wanted one person. Eren. Nothing else mattered. 

Suddenly, as if reading his mind, the vixen appeared behind him, grabbing him around the waist and catching the falling wine glass by the stem just before it hit the hardwood floor. Another amazing demonstration by the King of Hearts. Levi's cock throbbed. 

He couldn't help himself. Instantly, he was dropping to his knees in a sudden act of want and submission. He yanked Eren's large member from his pants, the younger man's eyes flying open in surprise. 

He had never given a blowjob before- He had no idea where to begin. All he knew was that he wanted Eren. He wanted his hands and lips and body against him. Wanted his impressive cock filling him, teasing him, cumming inside of him and claiming him. 

The younger man protested as the ravenette awkwardly placed his member in his mouth, licking it experimentally and sliding his lips up and down it. He had no idea what the fuck he was doing, but he tried, trying to mimic the actions he had seen in porn before. He licked and sucked, slurping loudly as he hollowed his cheeks, hoping to ellicit some sort of positive reaction from the younger man. 

"Lee, aah! What are you doing?" 

Levi smiled at Eren's hesitancy and continued, unable to stop himself as his own hand wandered down the front of his pants, playing around with his already hard erection. This was a wet dream he had had so many times. His mouth on Eren, pleasing him, pleasuring him. He probably looked like such a whore- on his knees sucking Eren off in front of everyone, but he didn't care. All that mattered was Eren. He had to have him. It was all he could think about. 

The brunette cried out, twisting his fingers in the kneeling man's onyx strands. He allowed the action for much longer than Levi thought he would, but finally pulled the smaller man off of his member, Levi whimpering like a baby whose bottle was taken away. 

The room was spinning and pulsating around him, his heartbeat echoed loudly in his head. He heard the buzz of Eren speaking to Erwin, but couldn't make out the words. His eyes were dialated as he clawed at Eren's pants, looking up at him with big, needy eyes. 

There was the euphoric, weightless sensation of being effortlessly thrown over the brunette's shoulder as Eren excused them, and worked his way around the lovers on the stairs up to the bedroom. 

"Eren. Eren." Levi mumbled the younger man's name incoherently as they entered the small bedroom, Eren carefully closing and locking the door behind them. The room had a bed and simple dresser, the walls painted a soothing slate color. The room was dimly lit by the light of a small essential oil diffuser, which scented the room with a soft lavender smell and cast a warm white glow about the room. 

Eren dropped Levi in the middle of the soft queen bed, his body melting into the down feather duvet. He crawled over the top of the smaller man, mounting him across the hips as he ran a finger across his bottom lip, still sticky with precum and his own saliva. 

"I like the way you call for me, Lee." Eren purred. 

"I need you. Please, Eren." Levi shivered, his voice breathy and needy. 

"What's got you all riled up? I've never seen you like this before." The younger man stroked his finger down Levi's chest, the ravenette growling that there was fabric inbetween Eren's hand and his skin. He was burning up. He needed Eren's hands on him. 

"Eren...I...I don't know. Please, just fuck me. Don't make me beg you. Please." 

Eren smiled. The smile was terrifying- dominant, sexy and teasing. The King of Hearts in action. He had fallen into his trap. He was falling, falling and falling into Eren. Just like he said he would never do. 

Eren ran his hand down Levi's thigh and across his stomach, teasing his cock through his pants, Levi letting out a little bark of a sigh. "Please, Eren." Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. 

The younger man's eyes were clouded with lust, and his own arousal strained against his sweat pants. He wanted nothing more than to tear into Levi, leaving him absolutely breathless, panting and satisfied. He wanted to take him all night, over and over. He had thought about it for years- dreamed about it and fantasized about it. But something was wrong. 

"I don't know, Lee." The brunette frowned, running his fingers down the ravenette's heaving chest. "You're under the influence of something. I don't know what was in that wine...But I don't want to do anything that you would regret in the morning." 

Levi growled. "What are you talking about, you brat. I'm not under the influence."

"You are, Levi. You're not yourself. You've never thrown yourself at me like this in all the years I've known you."

Levi growled, reaching down to palm at his erection, that seemed to get harder despite Eren's resisting. "What's that have to do with anything." 

Eren gritted his teeth. "Levi." 

Levi looked away. "Che. I get it. You just don't want me anymore." He felt hot tears welling up in the corner of his eyes. He was tired, and something unusual was definitely in his system, if it was making him behave this way. 

"Lee." 

The smaller man whined. " You hate me, don't you." Tears spilled out of Levi's eyes and down his cheeks in the most unexpected display Eren had ever seen. He quietly sobbed, throwing one arm over his face. "I deserve it. You should hate me. I was horrible to you for so long."

Eren nodded. It was true, Levi had treated him with distain for many years, but it didn't matter anymore. After their confession at Erwin's house, none of that mattered. He pulled Levi's arm away from his face, pushing a strand of jet black hair out of the smaller man's face. "That's not important, Lee. That's in the past. And you're wrong- I don't hate you, I love you. You know that. And because of that I want...I just..." He stumbled over his words, "...I don't want our first time to be something that you don't remember or that you regret." 

Levi jerked his erection needily as he looked up at Eren with large, tear filled glassy eyes. "Please, Eren. He begged again." This was it. He had been reduced to begging. "I need you. Right now. Please. I'd never regret being with you. All I want is you. It's all I've ever wanted." 

"Are you sure you want this Levi?" 

He sobbed, reaching for Eren's shirt and tangling his fingers in it. "I'm sure. I've never been more sure of anything in my life." 

Eren smiled softly, leaning in and kissing the smaller man deeply. 

"Please Eren. Please. Just...please."

Eren bit into his bottom lip as his fingers ran down Levi's chest. He wanted Levi. Needed him. He had for all his life. 

This was going to be his first time with Levi- and he didn't want to do anything the smaller man would hate him for. But at the same time he didn't want to reject him. He would never reject Levi. Never. 

He would take the leap. The apprehension on his face changed to excitement as he looked the smaller man over hungrily. He looped one long arm around Levi's waist, pulling him close. He laid his lips on the smaller man's ear, licking around the shell and nibbling on the earlobe before whispering, "I'll be everything you need, Levi." 

The ravenette shivered, gripping his hands into Eren's shirt and whining. The larger man slid off Levi's shirt first, exposing his toned, ivory chest, then his bottoms next, his erection slapping up onto his stomach, wet and hard, the tip red and aching. Next he slid off his own clothes, exposing his amazing chiseled, sunkissed skin and small tattoo on his hip. Levi gazed at him, mouth open, taking in the view of his naked body. He had seen Eren naked before for various reasons. But here, stretched out, his beautiful skin alit by the dim glow of the diffuser and about to give him his full attention in bed, Levi's whole entire body shuddered in excitement and his teeth chattered together at the thought of all of Eren just for him.

Eren moved away from Levi, moving up to the top of the bed to lean up against the plush headboard. He looked around for supplies, and noticed a small box on the nightside stand. Inside was lube, condoms and handcuffs. Eren smiled, dumping the contents onto the bed beside him. 

"Come here, love." Eren commanded, Levi's breath catching in his throat as he saw the handcuff chain dangling between Eren's fingers. "Come play." 

\--

Armin wasn't exactly sure how the entire chain of events had occured. He remembered drinking wine, and then a sudden surge of need and arousal unlike anythng he had ever felt before. 

Now he was being thrown down, his back on the the kitchen table, golden hair spread across the surface like a fan as Erwin stood and wildly jammed his whole enormous length into him. Precum and slick lube dripped down the back of his legs and his vision was a blur of color as tears ran down his face and he screamed the elder man's name. 

Jean was in the same position a few inches away from him, his legs thrown over Marco's strong forearms as the brunette bent him in two, pistioning his hips into the younger man with a fury. The two younger men's fingers were intertwined as they grasped each other's hand tightly, grounding one another as the mind blowing sex from their elder partners threatened to kill them right then and there. 

Out of nowhere, Armin leaned over and softly laid his lips on Jean's. 

Erwin and Marco froze for just a minute, waiting to read the reactions of the other parties. Jean's soft sigh showed he accepted Armin's touch willingly, squeezing the smaller man's hand and opening his mouth, allowing Armin's tongue to explore inside. They kissed softly and beautifully, Armin's shaking hand unlacing with Jean's to move to his chin, stroking the slightly stubbled jawline as their tongues tangled, moaning softly. 

The sensual sounds of their kissing spurred the elder lovers on, the two continuing to fuck the smaller men roughly, their large hands digging into their legs and hips, marking them aggressively while they grunted and growled like beasts. 

Marco was baring his teeth and snarling, and there was a line of saliva dripping hungrily from his jowls down onto the floor as he hungrily watched Jean and Armin deepening their kisses, paying less attention to the men who were pleasuring them and more to each other. 

Marco popped his body foreward, grinding his hips into Jean's, making the younger man scream out into Armin's mouth. Marco smiled. That's what he wanted. All Jean for all of himself. He hated being ignored. Jean's eyes flicked up to look at him, tear filled emerald orbs meeting a ravenous russet stare. Jean's mouth formed words, but Marco didn't hear what he was saying at first over the sound of Armin's broken cries of Erwin's name and the wooden table squeaking from their rough thrusts. 

"What?" Marco asked, hoping Jean could speak louder. 

"Marco. Harder." Jean's voice was raspy from screaming, his lips swollen and cheeks flushed. The brunette took a breathy exhale, then leaned forward, pounding harder as he gripped Jean's chin in one hand and kissed him roughly. Armin's saliva and wine flavored kiss still covered his lips as he devored Jean's tongue, rocking into him with no mercy, slamming into his prostate with every thrust. 

"Marco, yes, right there! There, Marco!" Jean screamed out, his fingers grappling for purchase on Marco's strong shoulders. "More, Marco!" 

Marco snarled, pleased that he was pleasuring Jean and he rammed into him harder, the table making a disconcerting cracking noise as he slammed his hips into it, determined to give Jean the best orgasm of his life. 

The blonde's fingernails tore across his shoulders and his back arched up off the table, a strangled moan coming from the back of his throat as he came, his release shooting wildly across his chest and his own face, lips and chin. 

"Good boy." Marco growled. He continued his merciless thrusts and an instant later he was coming, painting Jean's inside white with his load. 

Armin was panting, open mouthed as he watched the amazing scene beside him. Jean was still conscious, blinking blearily as he came down from his high, and Marco was licking the cum off Jean's chest as if it was his favorite food. Erwin grabbed Armin's member, and with a few short jerks he was coming, his release filling up the larger blonde's hand as he moaned a garbled cry of Erwin's name. Erwin came seconds later inside the smaller man, yanking the smaller man to his chest and digging his teeth into his shoulder. 

Somehow, their arousal wasn't sated. Jean's release was still on Marco's tongue when the brunette reached out and grabbed Erwin, tangling his hands in his golden hair. He pushed him back a few feet, slamming the taller man into the wall, pictures falling from their places onto the ground with a crash. He pressed his lips up against Erwin's, and the larger man looked surprised, but after only a second, one hand was tangled in Marco's curly locks and one was pressed into his lower back, pulling him closer, pressing their erections together, making Marco let out a hungry moan. 

The two smaller men peeled themselves off the table, and Armin took Jean's hand as his knees threatened to give out. They both laughed quietly as Jean lead Armin over to the couch, where the smaller blonde immediately got onto his knees, bending over and resting his head on his arms. Jean got behind him, running his hands over Armin's small, round butt cheeks, up his back, over his wolf tattoo and down his soft, small shoulders. He dug his teeth gently into Armin's hip, then kissed down his spine, spreading his butt cheeks to look at his gaping, messy hole. He smiled as he easily slid into it, using Erwin's previous release as lube. 

Armin sighed, Jean's hands running down the smaller blonde's back as he thrusted into him. 

"Watch." Armin purred, and Jean's eyes lifted from Armin's small, perfect butt over to their elder lovers who were busy destroying Hange's kitchen. 

They watched Erwin and Marco fight for dominance in one of the sexiest displays they had ever seen. Their kissing and hair pulling turned into a strange wrestling match of sorts, where each was trying to get the other to the ground and get on top. 

Erwin picked up a chair, slamming it over Marco's back and knocking him to the ground. He kneeled over the brunette, mounting him across the waist, running his fingers down his perfect olive skin. He leaned forward and whispered something in his ear, which made Marco turn and thrash underneath him. 

"Fucking hell I'll ever have your dick inside me!" 

Erwin smiled, kissing the man fiercely as he pinned one of Marco's wrists down, the other arm flailing and trying to get the elder man off of him. He continued to fight as Erwin lubed his fingers up with the precum from Marco's very hard member, and worked two fingers inside the brunette, who moaned and keened at the large stretch. 

"Give yourself to me, Marco." 

"Go fuck yours--mmm..." 

The two younger men felt their orgasms building again, and Armin came first, spattering cum over the couch, Jean finishing shortly after him, splashing his release across the smaller man's beautiful backside. They continued to watch wide-eyed as Erwin pinned Marco down, biting the brunette in the spot just behind the ear where he was sensitive while he snapped his hips up into him, filling him and pleasuring him despite his protests. The brunette muttered quiet growls of pleasure while he dug his fingernails into the elder man's back, just above the base of his spine, and they continued to banter even through their own releases. 

\--

"Are you afraid?" The tone sent a shiver down the smaller man's spine. It was teasing, suggestive, and dominant, all at one time. The larger man crawled toward him on the bed, the handcuffs still lightly held in his one hand, Levi scooting back down the bed.

"I...wait..." Levi mumbled. For some reason, the thought of being restrained terrified him. He had been tied up before, he had lived his whole life on the wrong side of the law and had gotten himself in his fair share of scrapes. Being tied up and at someones mercy was so vulnerable and frightening. But when he thought about giving that power to Eren, a shot of arousal went straight to his dick, making him squirm. 

Eren leapt forward and was on top of him, pinning him down, his soft breath beside Levi's ear, ruffling his dark locks. He gripped his arms tightly, pinning them down to the bed. 

"Do you trust me, Lee?" 

The question was soft, seductive and alluring, Eren's silky chestnut locks dragging across Levi's face, catching in the saliva that was resting on his slightly parted lips. 

Levi just nodded, and Eren smiled, slamming his mouth into the smaller man's as he reached up and buckled the handcuffs around his wrists. "Don't be afraid." He whispered. 

He pulled Levi's small body up onto the pillows, looping his bound hands over the slats in the headboard making it impossible for him to move. He laid his lips on the smaller man's again, their tongues tangling soft, sweet and slow. 

"I've wanted this for so long, Levi." Eren murmered as he spread Levi's legs, putting his body in between them as he pushed his knees up, lifting them over his strong, sunkissed arms. 

He kissed him slowly and softly, his tongue dragging over Levi's lips and mouth. Then he started moving downward, kissing his chin, his neck, across his small shoulders, kissing, licking and nibbling slowly and teasingly. 

"Aah, Eren. EREN!" Levi screamed out as he felt the soft, warm touch move down his body. It moved to his chest, twisting and nibbling each nipple, then dragged down further, across each abdomen muscle, Levi's body twitching under the unfamiliar wetness. The wetness moved down to his member, Eren's tongue wrapping around the painfully hard head, lapping up the precum that was cascading down the side, then to his balls, already tight and pulled against his body in need. Levi cried a low gutteral moan through the whole process. 

Eren grinned, as it was about to get even better. He pressed his tongue into the sensitive space between the ravenette's balls and hole and Levi mewled, never feeling anything like it before, his hips slamming up into Eren's face. The younger man smiled as he pressed Levi's stomach back down with a large warm hand, holding it there while he gripped both of Levi's thin legs in one arm and threw them over one shoulder, looking over Levi's small, sensitive hole. He blew on it and it immediatly reacted, fluttering needily. 

"Your hole is hungry for me, Lee." Eren cooed, as he moved his tongue down to it, licking and sucking it loudly, Levi shuttering. "Do you play with yourself often and think of me?" 

"I--" Levi blushed. He did. In the shower, in bed. Staring up at the ceiling, cursing himself, his hands covered in his own cum after hours jerking off thinking about his housemate. 

Eren smiled at the lack of response. "I think of you too, Levi." He smiled, running his fingers down Levi's small legs. "How you'd look covered in my cum, your voice shaky and screaming my name. I'm so happy I finally get to find out what you're really like underneath me." 

Levi shuddered at the words as Eren went back down on him, his tongue assulting his hole harder, circling it and sucking on it, loosening him. 

Levi's back was arching and he was letting out loud, beautiful mewels of passion unlike anything Eren had heard before, making him want...need to go faster, harder, to pull more of those perfect sounds from his throat. Eren wiggled his tongue even harder, finally bursting through the first ring of muscle and tearing a inhuman scream from Levi's body.

"Eren! Gaaah! Eren, please, no more!" 

The brunette pulled off with a smile, a line of saliva connecting himself to Levi's small red hole. 

The smaller man's cock was standing straight up and precum was dripping down the side, sticking to the short, well kept black pubic mound in the most lewd and sensuous scene Eren had ever scene. It made him rock hard and he had to stifle a moan as he watched Levi squirm at the uncomfortableness of being so hard and his cum sticking to him.

"Nnh, Eren..." He wined, straining against the cuffs, his legs trying to kick away from Eren. The taller man gripped him tighter, one large hand wrapping around the smaller man's ankles, holding him fast. "Please...don't tease me anymore..." 

Eren nodded, leaning in and kissing the smaller man gently. "I'm going to take you now." Eren's words weren't a question, they were a statement, and they made the smaller man grow rock hard and whimper at the assuredness in them. 

"Yes...finally...but...Eren, please," Levi gasped, "Be gentle. It's...it's..." 

A small growl uttered from the back of Eren's throat. "Lee, is it your first time?" 

The ravenette nodded slowly. 

"I'll be so good for you, Levi. I promise." Eren said, swooping in and kissing the smaller man on his lips. "So good. I won't hurt you at all. Just lay back and relax, and let me show you what pleasure is." 

\-- 

Jean's ears were ringing. Satisfaction coursed through his entire body. He wasn't sure how many times he had come. He wasn't even sure how they had gotten into this position. The whole entire evening was spotty, as if he had somehow been fading in and out of consciousness the entire time. He struggled, but strong hands behind him held his forearms tightly, making him unable to fight. Another smaller pair of hands tweaked his nipple piercings, and a warm, familiar mouth slipped around his leaking member. In the meantime, someone was pounding him hard, deep and recklessly, tearing breathy moans from his body. 

"Don't squirm. This is your punishment, remember?" The soothing voice in his ear was Marco, who was cradling his upper body in his lap, gripping his arms tighter, amused at Jean's pitiful struggling. He kissed and suckled the smaller man's neck while he whispered in his ear sensually.

"Aah! Marco, Aah! I don't know what you're--mmm!" He couldn't formulate a complete sentence and had no idea what was going on. Erwin was on his knees in front of him, his large hands wrapped around his waist and pistoning into him so deep he was unsure how he was still drawing breath. 

Armin was twisting Jean's nipple piercing roughly while he bobbed up and down on his member. He slipped his small mouth from around the head of Jean's cock, a strand of precum and drool still attached while the small blonde spoke. "Remember, when I was inside you and you were sucking on Marco, he told you not to come until he did? Then you came before and he said you had to be punished?" Jean shook his head. Armin had been inside of him? How could he have missed that? The thought made him shiver. 

He looked at the large, elder blonde slamming his hips into him through his thick lashes, heavy with tears he didn't remember crying. Erwin was fucking him. He threw back his head and let out a loud moan as the smaller blonde tweaked his nipples more and worked his lips around his member, flicking his talented tongue over his head just in the way that he knew that Jean liked it the most. Marco held him fast, kissing and licking his neck. This was going to be the death of him. 

\-- 

"Aah! Eren! No, Stop!" 

The brunette's fingers stilled. He had two long, talented digits inserted inside of the smaller man, slipping them in and up, scissoring and stretching him. His stomach fluttered with excitement. Finally after all of this time, he would be able to be one with Levi. He was ready. "What is it?" He asked, listening to Levi labored breathing. 

"I can't...I can't..." 

"What, Levi? Does it hurt?" Eren asked concernedly. 

"No, it's...I'm..." 

Eren quickly turned his fingers, dragging them around the sensitive walls of Levi's inside and the ravenette's head flew back and he mewled, spurting white seed all over his own chest. 

Eren giggled. "So cute." He continued his thrusting and stretching, Levi whining, now sensitive with overstimulation. 

"Do you still want me, Lee?" Eren asked, as he slipped a third finger in. "You already came. We could just stop here." 

"Nononononononoono Eren no, please, Eren, no don't stop, Eren, please. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I won't come again. Don't stop. Just please. Please." His pleading was breathy and needy and took Eren's breath away. He couldn't wait any longer. He stripped his boxers off and slicked his impressive length up with lube. 

"I'm going in, Levi." 

"Please, Eren." 

The brunette wrapped his arms around the smaller man, lining up his member he began to slowly slide in to Levi's tight, warm heat. 

"Aah! Eren...Eren!" 

"Does it feel good, love?" Eren growled, biting into Levi's neck as he inched his way in, being careful not to hurt his petite lover. 

"'S so good. So good. Aah!" Levi threw his head back, resting them in the deep down feather pillows as Eren pressed his way inside, nestling himself all the way inside of him. 

"I'm inside. I'm in you, Levi." Eren said with a low voice as he pressed his hips against Levi's, gripping the man's small legs with his hand and leaning in to kiss his lips. 

Levi nodded, as Eren slowly slid out, then moved back in, gently, slowly, taking his time, letting Levi get used to the large intrusion. 

"Nnh! Eren!" The smaller man clawed at his handcuffs, twisting against them. Eren understood the signal and obliged, reaching up he effortlessly lifted Levi's arms, taking them up off of the bedpost and instead looping his bound hands around his own neck. 

"Hold onto me." Eren said sensually. "You're going to need it." 

He bent the smaller man nearly in two, one hand clenching the small ankles over his shoulders, the other snaking under the ravenette's head, tightening in his hair as he kissed him fiercely. He slid out slowly, then moved back in, Levi crying into Eren's mouth, the strange and wonderful sensation unlike anything he had ever experienced. His mouth hung open, Eren's tongue darting around inside. 

Eren continued his slow, languid strokes, taking his time with the smaller man, enjoying watching Levi writhe under him, screaming out his name in pleasure. "Aaah! Ah! Nnh, Eren!" 

The brunette smiled, brushing a small piece of hair from Levi's ravenette's forehead. "Yes, beautiful?" 

"Nnh, don't, aah!! Don't call me that, aah, oh, Eren!" 

"Yeah?" Eren smirked. "And why not?" 

"I'm..nnh! Not a bitch, aah, I'm a man." 

"Really?" Eren asked, biting into his lip suggestively. "You sure look like one now, he said, thrusting deeply into the smaller man, making him let out in a breathy, wanton moan. "You look like a sweet little bitch in heat that just needs its hole filled." 

"Aaah-- Eren..." 

The brunette smiled as he continued thrusting, feeling Levi's fingernails dig into his skin as the handcuff chain burrowed into the back of his neck, painfully getting caught on his longer hair and making him growl. Eren jolted his hips forward, slamming deeply into Levi and he screamed. "Oooh, right there, Eren! Please, do that again!!" 

Eren smiled, plunging his cock deeply into the same spot again, electifying the smaller man with the unfamiliar feeling as he bumped up against his prostate. 

"Eren! EREN!!" 

The brunette growled, moving his hands from Levi's ankles down to his hips, gripping both hips with both hands as he gyrated into them hard and fast. Levi gasped, his back arching off the bed as he screamed in pleasure. "Faster, Eren! Right there. Right there....'s so good...so...aah! So good." The small man thrashed around in Eren's strong grip, tears gathering in his eyes and drool running down his face from his open mouthed screams. 

Eren felt his orgasm mounting. It was coiling in his stomach, hot and needy. He pounded into Levi's prostate harder, the smaller man moaning and thrashing around on the bed. Eren reached forward, grabbing his member he jerked it hard and fast. 

"I can't-- Eren, I'm coming again! Eren! Eren!" Levi's back arched as blinding white pleasure washed over him, his body shaking and his hole squeezing in a vice grip around Eren's member. The younger man let out a gutteral groan, releasing his load into Levi as his tight hole milked him dry, his own release painting his chest, chin and lips with cum. 

Levi's head lolled to the side as he passed out, and Eren leaned forward, licking the cum off his face, staying inside of him, his hole still fluttering and clamped around him tightly. Levi's mouth still uttered soft moans even as he was unconcious, and Eren pulled the handcuffed hands from around his neck, unclicking them easily and releasing his wrists, kissing each reddened wrist as he laid them on the pillow next to his head. 

"Beautiful." He murmered with a smile, pushing his hair out of his face and kissing his forehead. 

\-- 

"Hange, what did you do to us?" Erwin asked, blinking blearily as he awkwardly seperated from Marco, whom he never wanted to see naked ever in his life.

Hange smiled, shutting her small book. "I was just working on a specialty wine. No big deal. It was originally something I was planning on selling in Pyre. You know how it is there. People like to get laid and have a good time what with all the nightclubs and stuff. Call it a pet project." She stuffed the notebook and pen back in her pocket. "But, looks like it still needs some minor adjustments." 

"Hange. That's already been made, its called Roofies, and it's a drug and against the law." Erwin said, standing shakily. 

Hange blew a puff of air out of her nose in disbelief. "Biiiig difference. Ridiculous. The things you guys are accusing me of. Pfft. Ktt." She continued her series of weird noises in denial. 

"What was in that, anyway?" Armin asked, sitting up and rubbing his forehead. 

"Oh, you know. This and that. Grapes, sugar, Yohimbe, Ginsing, Saffron, other herbs and spices." 

"So basically you just hit us with all the aphrodisiacs and wanted to see what happened." 

Hange smiled. "Well, everyone lived, so that's a plus." 

"Have people...not lived?" Jean asked a little disturbed. 

The door to the bedroom upstairs creaked open and Eren thumped down the stairs. He was shirtless, pants riding low on his hips. He had a half-naked Levi in his arms, legs wrapped around his waist and arms around his neck, holding onto him sleepily as he descended the staircase. He looked bright, happy and well rested. 

"Wow, what is with this vibe down here?" He asked, getting to the bottom of the stairs, seeing Marco and Erwin yanking on their boxers awkwardly and Jean and Armin pulling a blanket over their naked bodies. 

"There was an orgy. Just missed it." Hange said smiling. 

"What?" Levi said sleepily. 

The four men explained the situation with Hange and the wine as carefully as they could, Eren and Levi's jaws hanging open. 

"Wow, how did we not hear that?" Eren asked dumbfounded. 

Hange smiled slyly. "Soundproof doors. Never know when you might need them. You're welcome." 

There was awkward silence between them for a long while. 

"So...anyway. Hange, why are you here?" Jean finally piped up. 

"Well, it is my house. I think the better question is, why are YOU here." 

"Right." 

Hange looked carefully around at each of the members in the room, then back at Eren. "Everyone, we need to talk. About myself. About Starwood. About Eren." 

"Eren?" Levi asked sleepily, digging his hands into the brunette's back possessively. 

"Yes." Hange said seriously, clasping her hands in front of her. "There's something I haven't told you. And I think it's time you know." 


End file.
